Masks
by Rj34
Summary: An alternative follow on from the end of the last series. Will 2 section survive the jump, and what's next for Captain James and Georgie? Could a reappearance from Molly cause CJ to change his mind?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

As Captain James strode down the empty corridor, the steady clump of his shoes echoed off the walls and around his head like a war drum. His ears were still ringing and thick with trapped water, and if he closed his eyes for long enough it almost felt like he was still beneath the surface, scrabbling around and trying to get his head up and eyes on the rest of his section.

'Sir.' A nurse said as he approached the door. 'Sir, you have to wait out here.'

'I need to know what's going on.' He replied, his voice steady and firm. He felt like an imposter. He had become very good at keeping his emotions hidden, not at all visible from the outside. But today had shaken him. Hell, the last 24 hours had shaken him. It was like things had all of a sudden started to make sense again, but someone, somewhere was trying to rip it out of his hands. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath as the nurse stood fast. 'They're still in theatre. As soon as we know anything, the surgeon will be out to update you.'

'Thank you.' He replied, stuffing his hands in to his pockets as he could feel them shaking. 'I just need to update my superiors so they can update her family.'

'Of course.' She replied, smiling gently. 'Someone will be with you as soon as they can.'

And then she left, leaving him staring at his reflection in the glass of the door. He still looked like Charles. A little rougher round the edges maybe, his eyes more tired and stress lines showing the battle strain he had been under for the past years etched across his face. But inside he felt nothing like that man. Nothing like the Captain who had focused his last however many years keeping his team focused and alive. When he became Captain of 2 section, he felt invincible - like he truly could do anything he put his mind to. But now he felt battered and bruised, and all he wanted to do was curl up with her under the covers and stay there. He was tired. He was done. He couldn't keep them safe anymore. He was no Captain.

The sound of a door opening and footsteps hurrying along the corridor behind him brought his mind back in to focus, and he turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of her as she snapped the rubber gloves off her hands and in to a bin a few metres behind him.

'Boss.' She said. He could feel the energy buzzing off her. She was still in medic mode, her brain buzzing with the desire to help people, to keep them alive. Just the sight of her made him sigh with relief and he had to lean against the wall to stop his legs giving way.

'How are they doing?' He asked, a smile on his lips. But it was a strained smile, it didn't reach his eyes.

'They're ok.' Georgie replied, wiping a few loose strands of hair off her forehead with the back of her hand. 'Shock... cuts and bruises. Ruby's just finishing them up now. They're gonna be alright, boss.'

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. That was six of his team out of danger. Brains, Fingers, Ruby, Monk and Kingy were safe. By some miracle they, together with he and Georgie, had escaped with only minor injuries which was incredible given the height from which they had jumped. Now he was just waiting for news on Maisie, who was in theatre.

'How's Maisie?' Georgie asked. She was desperate to touch him, to hold him - but she knew they had to be careful. If this got out it could have serious consequences for both of them.

'I don't know.' He replied. 'They won't tell me anything.'

'I'll see what I can find out.' She said, placing her hand gently on his forearm.

They stared in to each other's eyes for a few seconds, he enjoyed seeing the sparks fly in her eyes when she was busy doing something good, it was one of the things about her that he found massively attractive.

Georgie didn't break his gaze as he brought his hand to her cheek and brushed it gently with his thumb. She closed her eyes as he cupped it around her ear which was covered in dried blood, and stroked it gently as if he was trying to heal her. It took all her energy to remain standing where she was and not jump in to his arms, and she let out the deep breath she was holding instead, remembering the softness of his lips on hers the night before.

'You were amazing.' He said softly, and she could feel his breath on her cheeks he was so close. More than anything she wanted to lean forwards and kiss him, but eventually she opened her eyes and took a step back, his hand falling away.

'Charlie...' She managed, her heart thumping in her chest.

'I know.' He said. 'I'm sorry. I just...'

'Later.' She said softly. 'Once all this is done. We can talk.'

He nodded. 'Yeah.'

She smiled at him, touched her hand on his arm again, and then ducked through the doorway and in to the surgical ward. He was alone again. Now he felt like an idiot. She clearly thought he meant last night, but that wasn't what he meant at all. Of course she had been amazing last night - he took a deep breath as he thought of the scent of her body so close to his, and his pulse quickened. But she had amazed him even more in the way she had dealt with the aftermath of the jump. They had all climbed out of the water in shock, gasping for breath, and she had managed to keep everyone calm while also stabilising Maisie who was in a bad way. He loved to watch her work. She saved lives, there was no doubt about it. He couldn't have a better medic by his side.


	2. Chapter 2

**I had to lose a few reviews of the first chapter, as due to a strange technical issue I had to delete the story and republish. Hopefully it will be more easily searchable now :) Would love to know what you think!**

Chapter two

'Boss!' Came Rab's voice as Captain James walked through the door. He could instantly see panic on Rab's face. He hadn't picked anything up between Rab and Maisie prior to that day, but it had been apparent when Maisie had been knocked back by the blast that there was more to her and Rab's relationship than friendship. Captain James hadn't called it in yet, but he knew he would have to. Now they were 'emotionally involved' as the brigadier had described Georgie and Elvis some months before, they could no longer serve together in 2 section.

Georgie and Elvis. He shuddered as the sight of his best friend's burnt and lifeless face flashed before his eyes. Not a day went by when he didn't wish his best friend was still here. That was what was strange. His feelings for Georgie were so strong and it felt almost like they were supposed to be together all along. More than anything he wanted to be with her, to protect her, to spend his life with her. But at the same time, one of his other strongest wishes was to have his best friend back. He knew he could never have had both. He knew that if Elvis was alive, he and Georgie would never have happened. That was why he felt so conflicted. How could he love his dead best friend's fiancé? It felt so wrong but so right all at the same time.

He cleared his throat. 'Richards is still in surgery.' He said flatly. 'Lane has gone to see if she can find out how it's going. As soon as I have any news, I will of course let you all know.'

He scanned their faces. They looked wrought with shock, and exhausted. It had been a rollercoaster of a day. They had completed the mission and rescued Sumon, it had gone exactly as they planned - text book, well apart from the minor blast. And just as they were preparing to leave they had been ambushed, severely outnumbered, and forced to escape through the jungle and off a huge cliff. They had made the difficult decision to jump and, even though they had all survived what had seemed impossible, their journey had been far from over. It had taken hours for them to get Richards stable enough so they could get to the MERT which was waiting down stream.

'Is everyone alright?' He asked, more softly than usual. He was exhausted too. Emotionally and mentally. He wanted nothing more than to get them all in a chinook and back to England.

'Yes, boss.' Came their reply.

'Good.' He said, and was interrupted by the sound of the door clicking open behind him as Georgie entered the room.

'Any news on Richards, Lane?' He asked.

'She's just coming out of surgery.' Georgie replied, with a weary smile. 'The procedure went well. She's stable.'

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, particularly Rab who looked ecstatic. Georgie smiled at him knowingly.

'She's not quite ready for visitors yet but I'm sure she will appreciate hearing your voice once she's settled on the ward, Rab.'

Rab grinned, and Monk clapped him on the back ladishly. 'Hope you've still got that box, Rab. Maybe you can persuade her to say yes when she's still half asleep.'

'Shut up.' Rab replied, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

'I'm just going to get cleaned up.' Georgie said, and she quietly left the room.

Captain James watched her leave. He desperately wanted to follow her but he knew the rest of his section needed him right now. But she looked exhausted, and he wanted her to rest.

'I'll update the brigadier.' He excused himself, and followed Georgie out of the room.

He managed to catch up with her in one of the cubicles down the hall. 'Knock knock.' He said as he poked his head around the curtain, and they both smiled as they recalled a particularly awkward moment when she had said the same thing when entering his tent some weeks before. He pulled the curtain shut behind him and stood just inside, watching as she took off her bloodied uniform and pulled on some clean blue scrubs that the nurses had given her. She had only limited supplies in her Bergen, as they all did, and nothing more comfortable to change in to. She sighed at the relief of being out of a wet, uncomfortable uniform, and tucked Elvis' ring which was still hanging from the chain around her neck, in to her top.

Silently she turned around and walked in to his arms. He opened them and then held her tightly to his chest as she closed her eyes and breathed in his musky scent. The beating of his heart against her cheek calmed her, and for a few minutes neither of them moved or said anything. It was as though for those few minutes, they were two halves of a whole, fitting perfectly back together at last.

'Are you ok?' He asked finally, breaking the silence.

'Yeah.' She nodded. 'Just tired. And relieved that we got Sumon out safely and got ourselves out too.'

'Yeah me too.' He said, caressing the side of her face with his hand and lifting her chin, before kissing her gently.

Georgie closed her eyes and relaxed in to his kiss. Their lips moved together slowly as she gave herself to him again.

'I've been wanting to do that all day.' He whispered, his lips only millimetres away from hers.

'Me too.' She smiled, as he leant in to kiss her again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Rab had been sat by Maisie's bedside for several hours by the time she stirred. He heard her cough and the crinkling of her bed sheets as her body flinched at the pain, and his eyes snapped open before he stretched his tired muscles.

'Mays?' Rab said softly as she opened her eyes. Then she shut them again and sighed. 'Can you hear me?'

'I wake up from surgery and the first thing I see is your massive Shnoz!' She replied weakly, and Rab broke out in a massive grin.

'I never thought I'd be so happy to hear you talk about my Shnoz!' He replied, placing his hand on top of hers.

They smiled for a few moments before his face became more serious. 'I thought I'd lost you, Mays.'

'Don't be soft.' She replied, but she didn't move her hand away.

She was still tired from the anaesthetic and her eyes were heavy. She closed them again and leant back against the pillows, her hand still enveloped inside Rab's. Her chest ached from the broken ribs she had sustained in the blast, and her leg was all bound up in the casing which was holding it together following the operation.

'Does it hurt?' Rab asked, glancing down at her leg.

'My ribs are worse.' She replied. 'I feel like I've been kicked by a horse!'

He squeezed her hand, and then grinned again. 'You'll have to get your leg sorted out before the wedding. And your tooth.'

Maisie groaned. 'I'd forgotten my tooth! Fuck sake!'

Rab raised an eyebrow. 'So it's a yes now then?'

'Don't push your luck.' Maisie replied with a grin.

In the next room, the rest of 2 section were asleep on make shift beds made from trolleys and chairs from the waiting area. All except Captain James, who was sitting on the window ledge staring out at the moon. He was exhausted but, just as was often the case these days, he couldn't sleep. Every time he allowed his eyes to close, all he could see was the burnt face of Elvis, the sight of Georgie stuck underneath the rubble in the police station, and the sight of the heavily armed gunmen approaching the compound, outnumbering them. The sound of explosions and gun fire rang in his ears, and his heart rate quickened as he felt that panic all over again as he thought she was dead. He could have lost her twice in 24 hours. By some miracle she was still alive, here with him.

He crossed the room slowly, taking care not to wake them up with the sound of his boots. Georgie was lying closest to the door, propped up against the wall on a chair. She looked so uncomfortable but was somehow sleeping peacefully. She had wanted to be closest to the door so that she could get up in the night if things changed with Maisie. Initially she had refused to sleep but he had given her an order to rest. A medic with no sleep was no good to him.

She stirred in her sleep and he stroked her hair gently back from her forehead. She sighed and shifted in her chair. He wished they could be back in his bed like the night before, their bodies close and their lips locked together. It was the first night he had managed to sleep soundly for more than a couple of hours in ages. The warmth of her body had given him a sense of security, and he liked the way she seemed to fit against him perfectly. He hadn't wanted the morning to come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again to all my lovely readers and reviewers. I absolutely love writing fan fiction, and it makes it even better when I know other people are sticking with my story. Hope you enjoy :) **

Chapter four

When Georgie opened her eyes, light was just breaking and she lifted herself off the chair gently so as not to wake the others. Charlie was asleep in the corner next to the window, and the other members of 2 section were still asleep. Quietly she opened the door and crept out in to the corridor.

She locked herself in the bathroom down the hall and splashed her face with water. She couldn't wait to have a shower and sleep in her own bed. Later that day they would be transported back to the UK and she would get to see her family again.

The light from the lamp above her head flashed against Elvis' ring, which was hanging from her neck. She took it in her hand and closed her grip around it as she let out a big sigh. Oh, Elvis. She thought. If only you were here.

She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about her night with Charlie. She still didn't really understand how she felt. While she was with Charlie it had felt so natural and so right; she had slept soundly in his arms that night in a way she hadn't since the last night she spent with Elvis. His arms felt strong and safe, and she knew he would never let her down. But she still loved Elvis. She had tried and tried to get over him but she wasn't sure she ever would. She felt guilty for betraying him, even though he was no longer there and she knew he wouldn't want her to be on her own forever. Every time she was near Charlie it was like they were two magnets being pulled together - so natural and so right. But when they were apart and she had more time to think, she began to doubt whether it was the right thing at all.

She pulled the plug and watched as the water ran down the plug hole. It was so exhausting being at conflict with herself the whole time. She just wanted to be happy. She didn't understand why she couldn't allow herself to be.

She unlocked the bathroom door and padded quietly down the corridor to the surgical ward. She entered and saw Rab fast asleep on the chair next to Maisie's bed, his hand over hers as they slept. She stood for a few moments and watched them both. They looked so relaxed, so natural. She couldn't believe that she hadn't seen it between them before. They'd always been friends since the beginning; close friends, always joking and messing around. She had suspected there might be something to it when Maisie had let slip about the photo on Rab's mantelpiece a few weeks before. But just like everyone else, she had seen the panic in Rab's eyes yesterday when Maisie was knocked back by the blast, and she knew their feelings went a lot deeper than she had thought. And again when she had been in a bad way at the bottom of the cliff. Maisie had been unlucky, her leg ripped open on a rock at the bottom. She had lost a lot of blood, and it had taken all Georgie's experience and determination to stop her bleeding out. That combined with a pneumothorax caused by her broken ribs had meant it was touch and go until she had got to the hospital and been stabilised properly.

Georgie sighed and picked up the obs sheet attached to the clipboard at the end of Maisie's bed. She was doing remarkably well. Provided that she remained stable and continued to stay out of danger, she should be able to follow the rest of 2 section home in a few days. Georgie set the clipboard back down carefully so as not to make a noise and disturb them, before creeping back out of the ward.

By the time she got back to the corridor the sun had risen properly and she could hear the sound of trolleys moving around the hospital as it came to life. She sighed and sat on a bench in the corridor, wishing that she could call home and speak to her parents. But it would be the early hours of the morning there, with them 6 hours behind, and she didn't want to panic them by waking them. She thought of her parents sleeping peacefully in their bed, blissfully unaware of the events of the last 48 hours. She smiled as she thought about surprising them when she returned early. Her Mum would have kittens when she heard about everything Georgie had been through on this tour. She wondered whether she should just not tell her at all.

'Morning.' Charlie's voice made her jump, and she turned to look at him. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump.'

'It's ok.' She replied, moving up on the bench so there was room next to her. 'I just went to check on Maisie. She's doing well. Should be stable enough to come home in the next few days.'

'Great.' Charlie replied, suppressing the urge to put his arm around her. He studied the dark circles under her eyes and the angry red wounds scattered across her face. He didn't like it when she looked so vulnerable.

'Should you get those seen to?' He said, nodding at some of the larger scrapes.

'Oh, they're just superficial.' She said softly. 'I do need to get my arm redressed today though.'

'Make sure you do.' He replied, squeezing her leg. His touch gave her goosebumps. 'You don't want to pick up an infection.'

'Let me worry about that.' She sighed. 'What time is the transport arriving?'

'We will be out of here at 1500 hours.' He replied.

She sighed, a sense of relief flooding her body. This time tomorrow she should be just about tucked up in her own bed. She wanted nothing more than to have a good soak in the bath, put some pjs on and have a long sleep. But then she felt her stomach sink at the thought that she would be away from Charlie.

'Bet you can't wait to get home.' He said, as if reading her mind.

'I can't.' She said. 'What are you going to do?'

'Molly's already moved out of the house so I guess I'll go back there. Get stuff sorted.'

Georgie nodded. 'Yeah.'

They sat for a while in silence, watching as the odd person walked past them. There was still no sign of anyone from 2 section. They were all exhausted. Nobody had wanted to leave the hospital the night before with Maisie not having woken yet. Georgie knew they would be glad to hear the news when they woke up.

'You could always come back with me for a few nights when we get back?' Charlie asked, after checking around to make sure that nobody would overhear.

More than anything, in her heart Georgie wanted to. But her head was telling her not to, yet again she was fighting an internal battle against a part of herself she didn't even understand. Elvis was dead. Charlie was separated from Molly. They had nothing to feel guilty about, but she couldn't help it.

'I don't think that's a very good idea.' She said finally, shaking her head. She felt a pang in the pit of her stomach at the hurt look on his face. 'It's not that I don't want to... to be with you. But I just think we both need a few days to get things sorted for ourselves first, y'know?'

He nodded and said it was fine, but she could see that she had hurt him. That hurt her, because all she wanted to do was put him back together.

'Molly doesn't know yet... my parents don't know. I don't want to sneak around like it's some dirty secret.' She said.

Charlie sighed. 'It's fine. Just be honest. If you've changed your mind you just have to say.'

'I haven't.' She said instantly, turning her head to look right in to his eyes. It was as if she could see straight in to his soul, all the hurt and anxiety deep within him. She wanted nothing more than to be there for him and help him get better. 'I want to be with you. I told you before, I don't want to fight this anymore Charlie. But I want to do this properly. You mean too much to me to risk losing you. I don't want to rush things and get it wrong.'

'I don't want to lose you either.' He admitted. 'You're right. It's just difficult because being with you is all I can think about right now. I've been waiting so long for this.'

'I know.' Georgie said. 'And I don't want to waste another day fighting it. But let's get home, get sorted and do this properly. I want to make it work.'

He nodded and smiled. 'Ok.'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

It was 1430 hours and 2 section, with the exception of Maisie, were preparing to leave the hospital. Transport had been arranged for them to return to the UK, and their belongings had been collected from the barracks.

'What you doing, Monk?' Brains asked, sitting down beside his colleague who was engrossed in his phone.

'Look.' Monk said, a huge smile on his face as he swiped through a collection of photos.

'Aw he's lovely, mate.' Brains said.

'I love him so much already.' Monk said, completely infatuated. 'I can't wait to hold him and be his Dad.'

'You're already his Dad, mate.' Brains said, slapping Monk on the shoulder.

Behind them Kingy had packed up and was sitting quietly, also flicking through photos of his family on his phone. He had missed his girls so much on this tour, even more than normal. There was nothing he wanted more than to get home and cuddle up with them and his wife. He hadn't told them that he was coming home earlier than planned and couldn't wait to surprise them. He was going to get a taxi back to the front door and knock on the door. He couldn't wait to see their faces light up.

'I'm really proud of you, Ruby.' Georgie said, as he finished packing his Bergen.

'You've learnt a lot on this tour, you're a great medic.'

'I had the best teacher.' He replied with a grin. 'Thank you, Georgie. For listening, and believing in me.'

She shrugged. 'I always believed in you, Ruby. You care about people and about making a difference.'

'Right, listen in.' Captain James' voice boomed over theirs, stopping their conversations dead. Fingers hung his bergen on one shoulder and stood up straight as if ready to leave.

'The transport will be here in 30 minutes. Richards will be staying here but should be able to follow us home in 2 days as long as she continues to improve as she is now. Make sure you have all your belongings.'

They all felt a lot brighter at the thought of going home. As he left the room they resumed their conversations, bags packed and ready. All they had to do now was wait.

...

They touched down in the UK late in the evening. It was already dark and lashing down with rain. They jumped out of the aircraft and ran across the runway with their Bergen's before ducking in to the hangar for shelter so they could say their goodbyes.

Everyone was looking forward to a few weeks leave. A small handful of relatives were waiting for their returning heroes. Kingy, Georgie and Charlie watched and said goodbye as Monk, Brains, Rab, Fingers and Ruby were reunited with their parents and partners and went home. Once it was just the three of them, Kingy and Captain James had a quick debrief and then Kingy left too.

Georgie knew she should be leaving but something was stopping her. She didn't have the strength to leave.

'How are you getting back?' Charlie asked as he packed the last of the things he needed to take in to the boot of his car. 'Didn't you tell your parents you'd be back?'

Georgie shook her head. 'No, I was going to surprise them. I'll get the train back.'

Charlie looked at his watch. 'It's a bit late. Do you want a lift to the station?'

She shook her head. 'No.' Her voice was barely a whisper.

Charlie stopped what he was doing and took a few paces closer to her. He was concerned. She didn't look at all happy. He knew she was tired, they all were - but this was different. There was something else. She looked like she might burst in to tears.

'You can't walk to the station, it will take ages and you'll miss the last train.'

Georgie said nothing but she couldn't look him in the eye.

'Georgie?' Charlie asked, stepping forward and taking her hands in his. 'Talk to me.'

'I don't want a lift to the station.' She said, her voice faltering. 'I don't want to go back without you.'

She raised her face up to his and was lost in his eyes again. The closer she got to him, the harder she felt pulled in. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body radiating against hers, and he gently ran his fingertips across her palms before squeezing her hands in his. Too late, she felt a tear which she had been trying her best to keep in spill from the corner of one eye, and before it got to the bottom of her face Charlie reached up and wiped it away with his thumb.

'So don't.' He said, his voice thick and husky. 'Come back with me.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again to all my lovely readers and reviewers. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

Chapter six

The drive back to Charlie's took a couple of hours, and Georgie couldn't keep her eyes open. She tried, but they felt unbearably heavy and by the time they were half way she was asleep.

Every so often Charlie took his eyes off the road and snatched a glimpse of her. She was beautiful, even when exhausted and dirty. He was so glad she had decided to come back with him, even if only for a short while, so they could spend some time together and talk properly without the risk of someone hearing. They needed to talk properly about what they were going to do. He wanted to be completely, 100% honest about his feelings for her.

As they reached the house he had until recently shared with Molly, Charlie pulled up on to the driveway like he had hundreds of times before. But the house looked different now. It looked cold, empty, uninviting. It was as if all the love and life had been sucked out of the house as his relationship with Molly had met its end. Part of the reason he was glad to have Georgie with him was that he didn't think he could face coming home to a cold, empty house on his own. He still didn't feel himself and more than anything right now, he wanted comfort.

'Georgie.' Charlie said softly, placing his hand on her arm and shaking her gently. 'We're here.'

She opened her eyes and stretched, running a hand through her messy hair. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep.'

'It's fine.' He said, opening the car door. 'There was no point in both of us staying awake.'

It was the early hours of the morning by now, and the rest of the street was still and silent, the other residents safely tucked up in their beds. It was Tuesday and Charlie knew that almost all of them would be going to work in just a few hours, so he was as quiet as he could be as he locked the car and opened the front door. The door scuffed on a big pile of letters that had been building up probably the best part of ten days. Molly hadn't been here for a while. The bundle of coats she normally left hanging on the pegs by the door were missing, and just one solitary pair of Charlie's shoes sat on the shoe rack. He sighed, flicking the light switch behind the door and scrunching his eyes as the light flooded them.

It was cold and he flicked the thermostat up before bending to pick the post up, and closing the door quietly shut behind them. He noticed that Molly had turned off the heating and hot water, and wondered if that had been purposely to piss him off. She knew the first thing he liked to do when returning from a tour, even if it was the middle of the night, was to have a long hot shower.

He turned around and saw Georgie behind him, her bergen perched on one shoulder, looking awkwardly around. She was finding this even more difficult than he was.

'Do you want anything to eat or drink?' He asked.

'No thanks.' She shook her head. 'I think I'll head straight to bed, I'm knackered.'

'Ok.' He nodded. 'I'll just grab a glass of water. The bedrooms just at the top of the stairs, bathroom to the left if you want a shower. But it might be cold as I've only just switched on the water.'

Georgie climbed the stairs and he walked through to the kitchen. Every trace of Molly had been removed from the house, down to the colourful tea towel and oven glove that used to hang off the handle of the oven. He sighed as his eyes fell on the table where they used to eat dinner every night they were both at home, and occasionally used to make love when one of them got back from a tour and they couldn't wait to get upstairs. It felt so strange to be back in a house which he knew was his, but felt nothing like the house he had left behind. Even his favourite chest of drawers which had once sat pride of place in the hallway was gone, leaving a slight shadow on the paintwork behind it.

Charlie poured himself a glass of water and headed upstairs. When he reached the bedroom he found Georgie perched awkwardly on the corner of the bed.

'What's wrong?' He asked.

She said nothing for a few moments, but then shook her head. 'I just... this doesn't feel right. This is your house with Molly. I just don't feel like I should be here.'

'It's not our house anymore.' He replied matter of fact, setting his Bergen down in the corner of the room and pulling off his socks.

Georgie felt incredibly awkward sitting on the bed that Charlie used to share with Molly. The bed where they would have made love. The sheets were clearly washed but it still felt very odd.

'Could I sleep in the guest room?' She asked eventually. 'Could we... sleep in the guest room?'

Charlie nodded. 'Of course, if that's where you feel comfortable.'

'I'm sorry, I don't want to be difficult.' She said. 'I just don't feel right sleeping in this bed just yet.'

He sat down on the corner of the bed with her, and she leant her head on his shoulder, letting him take the strain. She sighed, breathing in his comforting smell again.

'Thank you.' He said.

'For what?' She asked, not lifting her head. She was far too exhausted.

'Coming back with me.' He said. 'So we can talk properly.'

'Don't be daft.' She said with a big yawn. 'Now I'm going to jump in the shower before we go to bed. I don't care if it's cold, I just need to get clean.'

He smiled as she slipped out of his grip and out of the room towards the bathroom. Charlie sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments before pulling his own T-shirt off to expose his abs. His trousers followed, and then his pants until he was completely naked. Just then he heard a small shriek from the bathroom and he quickly jumped off the bed and strode out of the room, concerned. 'Georgie?' He called.

As he pushed the bathroom door open he almost laughed at the sight of her hopping around trying to avoid the water.

'Hey!' She said in mock annoyance, trying to wash her hair without getting cold water on the rest of her body. 'Do you mind?'

'I heard a noise, I was worried.' He said. 'Sorry I'll leave you to it.'

But he couldn't move, he was transfixed by the sight of her body. He felt his pulse quicken and gulped. Georgie looked straight at him but didn't ask him to leave. As the water began to warm up slightly, she turned away from him and tilted her head back so that the water cascaded over her shoulders and down the rest of her body, and he couldn't just stand there any longer.

He walked in to the shower behind her, enveloping her body in his arms. Every hair on his body stood on end as the barely warm water hit his skin, which only served to heighten his senses further. She tilted her head to one side and his lips grazed her neck before she turned in to him and offered her lips. He couldn't even feel the cold water anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

When Georgie opened her eyes to find Charlie's strong arms around her, she was surprised for a few seconds. She had been dreaming of Elvis again - like always, the dream had felt so real. She could even smell him and feel his skin against hers. When she saw Charlie's light curly hair and realised who was holding her, she felt a wave of guilt hit her all over again. Waking up with Charlie and not Elvis was going to take some getting used to.

'Morning.' Charlie said, kissing the top of her head gently. 'Did you sleep well?'

'Yeah.' She said, lacing her fingers with his. 'Did you?'

'Yeah.' He lied. He had slept for a few hours at least. It had been broken sleep though, broken by nightmares. Still, a few hours was better than normal, and he was happy to wake up with Georgie in his arms. He had been awake for a couple of hours, holding her to him, enjoying the warmth of her body and the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

They lay in bed for a few minutes, their fingers laced together, every so often Charlie would kiss her head gently. They felt relaxed in each other's company, more relaxed than they had a couple of nights ago when they had woken in Charlie's cabin in Bangladesh. It was nice to be truly on their own at last - they could simply be themselves, with no interruptions. Charlie could happily have laid in bed with Georgie for the whole day, but the grumble of his stomach interrupted.

'Hungry?' She asked.

'Starving.' He answered. 'Look, I've got nothing in, the cupboards are bare. We could go out, I know a nice cafe?'

'Sounds good.' Georgie said. 'I'll get dressed.'

She slid out of the bed and pulled on a T-shirt and some joggers from her Bergen. She didn't have much to wear, it had been hot in Bangladesh so most of her Bergen contained either army uniform or shorts.

Once they were dressed Charlie drove them to the cafe. It was just a five minute drive and within ten minutes of arriving they were both tucking in to a full English fry up. Charlie watched as Georgie packed it away hungrily, with a grin on his face.

'Mmm.' She said. 'This is amazing.'

'You look like you haven't eaten for weeks.' He laughed.

'I feel like I haven't!' She replied. 'I'm glad I came now.'

'So am I.' Charlie said. 'But not because of the fry up.'

Once they had finished eating, they left the cafe and went for a brisk walk around the park which was a five minute walk from the cafe. They were both used to doing a lot of exercise whilst on tour, and it felt good to get out in the fresh air and work off their breakfast. The path around the park was long, and it was pretty much deserted with it being a week day and still fairly early. Georgie smiled as she felt Charlie slip his hand in to hers. It felt so good to be free enough to do that. There was nobody who might see them, nobody who could catch them out. They could simply be themselves.

Eventually they stopped at a bench and sat down, watching the birds fly over head and the sun burn off the hazy mist which covered the blue sky. It was a crisp morning, and Georgie tucked her chin inside her jacket. It wasn't really warm enough for the weather.

'Come here.' Charlie said, holding out an arm so she could slip underneath it. Georgie shifted across and cuddled in to him. She really enjoyed his company.

'Charlie.' She said softly, not moving away from his embrace. 'What are we going to do?'

Charlie sighed. He knew they had to have this conversation, but it had been so nice spending the night and morning together that he didn't want it to end. It was almost like they were in some sort of bubble, but it was about to burst.

'About?' He asked. There were so many things they both needed to sort out.

'When do you have to report to the brig?'

'Friday.' He said. 'He should be flying back with Richards late on Thursday.'

Georgie nodded. 'And what are you going to tell him?'

Charlie said nothing for a few moments. Georgie was just about to prompt him when he finally replied. 'Honestly, I have no idea. I have to tell him the truth about Rab and Maisie of course. They know that already.'

'And us?' Georgie asked, her heart thumping in her chest. She knew things would never be the same again. If anyone found out they were together they would never be able to serve together again, and she knew deep down that they mustn't put themselves or anyone else in that position. The events of the last few days had proven that their feelings had already compromised their own safety. Georgie knew only too well that if anything happened to Charlie while they were on tour, she wouldn't be able to administer medical assistance to anyone else who was injured, just as she hadn't been able to when Elvis was blasted off the roof right before her eyes.

'Do you remember what I said in Belize?' Charlie said. 'About everything slipping away from me?'

Georgie nodded. 'Of course.'

Charlie pursed his lips. 'And how my uniform is the only thing holding me together?'

She nodded again. 'Yeah.'

'I'm scared.' He said softly, his voice barely louder than a whisper. She turned to face him and could see the sincerity in his eyes, he looked broken. It hurt her deeply to see him looking so scared. 'I know I have to do this. It's time. But what if I can't... what if I can't function without it?'

Georgie took his hands in his and squeezed them hard. 'Listen to me.' She said, the heat from her hands radiating in to his. 'I will never allow that to happen. Do you hear me? We're a team. We will get you the help you need. We'll do it together.'

Charlie squeezed her hands back and steadied his breathing.

'What if I push you away?' He said. 'What if I'm not the man you think I am?'

'I won't let you.' She replied, resting her forehead on his. 'It's going to be ok. You're going to be ok.'

'It's me who should be protecting you.' He said, clenching his jaw. 'It's always been that way. What am I if I can't even do that anymore?'

'I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself.' She replied, raising one eyebrow. 'Didn't I prove that in the jungle?'

Charlie smiled weakly. 'Yeah. You did.'

'So let me help you.' Georgie replied. 'I promise I won't let you down. But you have to face this. You need to be honest with the brig about your mental health. They can't help you if you don't tell the truth. Please don't minimise this.'

'I'm fine.' Charlie lied, but then he saw the disappointment on her face, and he shook his head. 'Alright.' He said. 'What do you want to do?'

Georgie shrugged. 'Honestly, I have no idea at the moment. All I know is that I want to be with you, I want to get things right. If that means leaving the army, then I will.'

'You don't have to.' Charlie said. 'I won't say anything about what happened between us. I won't drag you down with me. Nobody else knows, so there's no reason that anyone should find out. And even if they did, I was the CO. It's me taking advantage of you. Not the other way round.'

Georgie sighed. 'I don't even know if I want to go back.'

'You don't have to decide now.' Charlie said. 'I'm going to get the help I need, we can be together. But you mustn't give up something you love and believe in, just because of me.'

'I want to be there for you.' She said, squeezing his hand. 'How can I do that if I'm thousands of miles away?'

'I need to fight this on my own, Georgie. It's not your battle to fight.' He replied. 'If you want to leave the army because that's what you want, then fine. But please don't throw everything away for me.'


	8. Chapter 8

I am sure you were all as gutted as I was today with the BBC cast announcement. I was so hoping to see some more scenes between Georgie and Charlie on screen, and I really hope his absence from the next series isn't going to mean that they fizzled out or he didn't survive. In the meantime I'll carry on with my fan fiction as they're still my favourites, and maybe if the next series is bad news for them then I'll pretend it never happened ;) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets a mention, and he and Georgie are still together - then I can fill in the gaps with fan fiction!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

Chapter eight

Georgie stayed another few nights at Charlie's. Every time she tried to talk herself in to going back to her parents her heart won and her head lost. The longer she stayed with Charlie the harder it became to leave. She enjoyed the warmth of his body against hers as he held her close to him at night, and the softness of his lips as he kissed her. She enjoyed snuggling up on the sofa in the evening with a glass of wine and a bowl of snacks, and most of all she enjoyed being able to touch and talk to him freely without having to worry about who might hear.

On Friday morning she had no choice but to leave. Her family were expecting her back and she was sure that Grace would have the 'welcome home' banners affixed to the front door, and a full buffet of party food in the fridge already.

Georgie and Charlie said their goodbyes and he left for the barracks, on his way to meet with the brigadier. They had spoken at length about the meeting, and it was now clear in Charlie's mind that he had to get the support he needed and secure a medical discharge. He wasn't fit to serve as a Captain anymore, and deep down he knew he never would be. He was battle tired, and if he went back he knew it would only be a matter of time before he made a mistake and someone was killed. He already had two strikes on his record and he wasn't prepared to risk a third.

Georgie's train to London was at 10.30am and she would catch a connecting train back up to Manchester. She was looking forward to seeing her family again and she knew they would be excited to see her. But she felt really sad about leaving Charlie. Her stomach turned when she thought about sleeping alone, without his warm arms around her. But it only had to be a few days while they both got things sorted, and then she could come back to be with him again. She was almost certain that she was going to leave the army now. Once he had sorted things out with Molly and his parents and she had spent some time with her parents, she wanted them to be honest about their relationship with everyone.

She had just finished packing her Bergen when she heard a key in the lock downstairs. Her stomach flipped at the thought of Charlie being back already - he had only left a few hours ago, it couldn't have gone to plan if he was back already?

'Charlie?' She called, but there was no answer. 'Charlie?' She called again, this time making her way towards the door. But as she climbed down the stairs, it wasn't Charlie's face that met her.

Georgie was so shocked she almost dropped her Bergen. She froze half way down the stairs, unable to move another inch. There was something different about her, but it was unmistakably her.

'Molly.' Georgie breathed, her heart thumping in her chest.

Molly was frozen too. The front door was still half open behind her and she stared at Georgie, half in surprise and half in disgust. 'What are you doing here?' Molly spat.

She looked good, Georgie thought. She was glowing and she was sporting a new hair style, short and cropped to just above her shoulders. Georgie wished she had left just five minutes before.

'I thought you weren't all back until this evening.' Molly said.

'We got back earlier than expected.' Georgie replied. She wasn't sure if she was making this seem better or worse.

'Where's Charles?' Molly asked, looking confused.

'He's gone to see the brig.' Georgie replied.

Molly paused and then a strange expression flashed across her face. Georgie took the last few steps down to the bottom and set her Bergen down. She watched as Molly glanced in to the living room and her eyes caught on the two wine glasses and large empty bowl on the coffee table from the night before. Georgie could tell that she already knew.

'Molly, it's not what it looks like.' She began, but Molly cut her off.

'Don't.' She said, her voice still relatively calm. 'Don't you dare.'

'Nothing happened until after you finished things with Charlie, I promise.' Georgie said.

Molly laughed. 'Didn't take you long did it? Don't lie to me Georgie, I know something has been going on for months. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. He's not been the same since he came back from Belize.'

'He's got PTSD, that's why.' Georgie replied quietly.

'That's not what I mean.' Molly replied. 'He hasn't been the same at all. Distant. Always on his phone. I know it was you he was texting. You're the only reason he went back, do you know that? We were this close, this bloody close to being able to start again, I could have helped him get better. But he threw it all away, for you.'

'No, the brig begged him to come back.' Georgie said. 'After Bones-'

'Oh I don't give a shit!' Molly said, her voice now raised. 'We all know why he went back, and that's cos of you.'

'It wasn't like that at all!' Georgie replied, but she knew there was little point in trying to defend herself. ' I didn't ask him to come back. I actually told him not to!'

'I know he was hurting too after Elvis but it's not an excuse for shagging someone else, is it?' Molly said, not acknowledging what Georgie had just said, her voice shaking. 'Cheating on me. Well you're welcome to him, because we don't need him anyway.'

She turned around and left before Georgie had time to stop her.

'Molly? What do you mean?'

And then it struck her. It wasn't just Molly's new hair style which was different.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Charlie was exhausted and in a bad mood when he got home from the meeting. The house was empty now that Georgie had gone back to her parents, and he sat down at the dining table and began to go through the large pile of post which had been abandoned on the sideboard since he arrived home.

There was nothing out of the ordinary. Bills, junk mail, that was it really. He dumped most of it in the recycling bin and then sat back down on one of the chairs with a sigh. How he wished that Georgie could be here with him.

Charlie pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was 5pm. By now Georgie should be back with her parents. He knew that he should leave her to it, she would call him when she was ready, but he just really needed to hear her voice. The meeting with the brig had hardly gone well, and he really needed to talk about it with someone.

The phone rang and rang and he was just about to give up when he heard a click and she finally answered.

'Hey.'

'Hi.' He said, the exhaustion coming through in his voice. 'Did you get home ok?'

'Yeah.' She replied. 'How was your meeting?'

Charlie paused for a few seconds. 'Um.. not great.' He said.

'Did you tell the brig?' Georgie asked. 'About how you're feeling?'

'Yeah.' Charlie said. 'Long and short of it, if I stay in the army then I'll get the support I need. If I leave, it's up to me to find it basically.'

'Oh Charlie.' Georgie said. He could hear concern in her voice. 'We'll get you the support you need, don't worry about that.'

He said nothing for a few seconds, and then he sighed.

'I wish you were here.' He said. 'I can't wait for you to come back.'

Georgie didn't reply. He felt a bit sick wondering what she was thinking. Finally, she said something.

'Are you going to see Molly?' She asked.

'Um... I wasn't planning to.' He said. 'I think we've said all there is to say. I need to see a solicitor and then we can get the ball rolling.'

'Are you sure that's what you want?' Georgie asked. 'Both of you?'

Charlie furrowed his brow. He was confused.

'I told you how I feel, Georgie.' He said. 'I want to be with you.'

There was another silence and then he heard her sigh shakily.

'I think you and Molly should talk.' Georgie said. 'Before you go to the solicitor.'

'Why?' He snapped. 'What's changed since this morning, Georgie?'

'Nothing.' She said. 'I just.. I said we need to take things slowly, do things properly. It wouldn't hurt to talk things through with her properly, would it?'

'Our relationship is over.' Charlie confirmed, and then rubbed his hand across his forehead wearily as if wiping away invisible beads of perspiration. He didn't know why she was being like this now. She sounded almost hesitant. Now he felt even more worried that he was going to end up alone.

'I've got to go.' She said. 'I'll call you tomorrow, ok? But please, speak to Molly.'

And then she was gone.

...

It was still dark when Georgie woke, and the house was silent. She rolled over and glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 4.30am. She'd had a restless nights sleep, and she pulled back the covers and padded across the room to the window.

There was no sign of the sun yet, the moon was still glowing in the sky and the world outside was quiet and peaceful. She sat on the window ledge and her eyes fell on the drain pipe just along the brickwork that Elvis used to climb up to surprise her in the night. Absentmindedly, she twiddled the ring that still hung round her neck between her thumb and forefinger, closing her eyes, wishing that he could climb up the drain pipe now and be with her.

And then she thought of Charlie, and the warmth of his hands on her body, and the way he looked at her adoringly. She missed him too. Why did this have to be so complicated? It had seemed to simple when they sat together on the hospital bed in Bangladesh, after the police station bombing. They wanted to be together and that was all that mattered. But now they were home there were the complications of real life; their families, Molly, and army regulations. It was even more complicated than she had first thought. So many obstacles.

She wondered how Maisie was doing, and made a mental note to call her and find out. She should be back in the UK now, probably in hospital, and Georgie thought it would be good to visit her.

Georgie heard the flush of the toilet downstairs on the first floor, and knew that her Dad was probably up and getting ready for work. She got off the window ledge and waited until she heard the creak of the bathroom door opening and the sound of footsteps down the stairs, and followed him down to the kitchen where he was just flicking the kettle on.

He didn't hear her coming and the sight of Georgie our of the corner of his eye made him jump.

'Oh hello, love.' He smiled, grabbing another mug from the mug tree. 'Cuppa?'

'Please.' Georgie said, sitting down at the table in her dressing gown.

'It's good to have you back, love.' Max said. 'Did you sleep well?'

'Not really.' She replied, running her hands through her hair and then bringing her knees up to her chest, as if she was giving herself a hug.

'Jet lag.' Max smiled, and Georgie nodded even though it was a lie. Her family thought she had only flown back in yesterday. They didn't know that she had been back in the UK for a few days, with Charlie. Charlie. She felt tears in the corners of her eyes when she thought about how much she missed him.

'What's up, love?' Max asked, eyeing her knowingly. He knew his daughter well, and he knew when there was more to it than jet lag.

'Nothing, I'm just tired that's all.' She said, wiping the tears away quickly.

Max nodded. 'You know you can always talk to me, George - about anything.'

'I know.' She said, but truthfully she didn't know where she would possibly start.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

Days passed, and with each day it became a little easier for Georgie to mentally push Charlie away. She didn't want to. But she knew she had no choice. More than anything she wanted to get on a train and go to him, but she would not be the one to break up a family and she knew that if she was around, they would have no chance at all.

On Monday she spoke to Maisie. She was feeling much better and improving all the time. The doctors hoped she would be able to go back home within another week or two. She was back to her normal self and Georgie enjoyed probing her about Rab. It seemed like they were going to make a proper go of things, although she was adamant that she hadn't accepted his proposal. Georgie thought they were made for each other, and was genuinely happy for her friends.

On Wednesday she received a call from Kingy. By now the rest of 2 section had received the news that Captain James would no longer be in charge of 2 section on medical grounds. Sergeant King was stepping up as Captain, and they were preparing for another tour, this time a humanitarian mission in Afghanistan. Just the mention of the place made Georgie shiver - the last time she had been there, Elvis had been blasted off a roof top to his death right before her eyes. But this was the only way she could put proper distance between herself and Charlie, and she didn't trust herself to stick to what was right if she didn't go. So she said she would go too. With the exception of Maisie and Charlie, the rest of the section were up for it and they would be setting off in ten days time. It would be a three month tour.

Georgie ignored Charlie's calls for the rest of the day and eventually called him back late in the evening, when she was lying in bed. He picked up straight away, his voice anxious.

'Why are you ignoring me?' He asked.

'I'm not sorry - I've had a busy day.' Georgie said. 'My mum invited my aunts round and we went out. Sorry I should have text.'

'Not too busy to speak to Kingy though?' Charlie questioned, and Georgie felt her stomach turn upside down at the realisation that he already knew. When she didn't answer, his heart leapt. 'It's true then? He didn't make a mistake?'

Georgie took a deep, shaky breath. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she imagined what he would be feeling right now. She hated what she was doing to him, but reminded herself that it was for the best. It was the best thing for him.

'I'm sorry, Charlie.' She said. 'I was going to tell you.'

'It's fine.' He said. 'Do you know what I'm just hurt that you didn't think highly enough of me just to tell me. I wouldn't have asked you not to go. You're an exceptional medic, of course you want to go. You don't want to be stuck here with me. I said before didn't I, I don't want to stop you doing what you want to do.'

Georgie bit her lip as tears spilled from her eyes. She did not want to go, at all. She wanted to get on a train straight to Charlie's.

'I think you should see Molly, Charlie.' Georgie said. 'I don't think... I don't think you and I...' her voice trailed off.

'What... what do you mean?' He asked.

'I'm sorry.' She said. 'You need to go back to Molly. It's not too late.'

'But I don't want to.' He said. 'You know how I feel about you. I thought you felt the same. What's changed since you left?'

Georgie closed her eyes. She hated having to lie to him. She could hear his voice faltering as if he was going to cry too. She had only ever seen him cry once, when he had held her after Elvis had died. Even when Molly had left him and he had almost died in the jungle, he hadn't cried.

'I'm sorry.' She whispered. 'I can't do this. I've been trying to kid myself but it's just not the same. You'll never be Elvis. You should go back to Molly.'

And she ended the call before she changed her mind.

Charlie held the phone to his ear for a good few minutes after she ended the call. He longed for her to call back and say she'd made a mistake, he just didn't understand. The day she left everything was going so well, he had been counting down the days until he saw her again ever since. But now he had nothing, no section, no wife and no partner, and nothing to look forward to besides months of counselling sessions.

He sank his head in to his hands and closed his eyes. What was the point in any of this anymore?


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again for the recent reviews! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. I've decided to go down a bit of a different route for this story than I originally planned. It would be easy to give them a quick happy ever after but then there wouldnt be any drama and I wanted this one to be a little bit different than the ones i have written previously.**

**Anyway as always I hope you enjoy, and cant wait to read what you think:)**

Chapter eleven

With every night that passed since Georgie had left, Charlie's nightmares got more and more vivid.

Tonight he was back on tour, they were under enemy fire. Georgie had been caught in the cross fire and was bleeding out. He ran to her, bullets spraying around him, somehow he managed to dodge them all. When he got to her she was covered in blood, her eyes wide open but not breathing. He cried out, immediately starting CPR, trying to revive her. He could feel someone behind him and as he turned he was shocked to see Elvis behind him.

'You did this.' Elvis said. 'It's your fault, she's dead because of you.'

'No!' Charlie shouted. 'I won't give up!'

'It's too late.' Elvis spat at him. 'The one thing I needed you to do, keep her safe, and you failed. You're fucking useless.'

Charlie wailed and shot up in bed, his brow was covered with beads of perspiration and his sheets were soaked. He was breathing too fast and it was making his head spin; he was dazed, unsure whether he was actually awake or still in a dream. He took some deep breaths and managed to steady his breathing, then took his head in his hands as tears spilled from his eyes and dropped on to the duvet below.

Once he was calm, Charlie had a shower and then watched the sun come up, as he did almost every morning. He had barely slept since Georgie left. Every time he closed his eyes it was like he was back there again, watching his best friend die right before his eyes.

After he had stuffed the bed sheets in to the washing machine he sat at the table, drinking his last mug of Rosabaya coffee. Briefly the memory of that tour with Molly crossed his mind; the way she had left the coffee on his desk in his tent, after returning from leave. He smiled briefly, but his smile faded when that memory was replaced with her throwing a mug across the kitchen in anger, the coffee spraying everywhere, when he had told her he was going back on tour with 2 section. He knew it was over then. In fact, he had known it was over a long time before. They had both been on different tours, hardly seeing each other, like ships in the night. He had changed massively over the course of 2 years, and she just didn't get it. She didn't have the life experience to understand. It had driven a wedge between them and Elvis' death had been the nail in the coffin.

He had been attracted to Georgie like a magnet ever since Elvis had died. It was like something clicked when they were sat on the edge of the bed after returning from that awful mission, both crying and trying to make sense of what had just happened. He suddenly had an overwhelming urge to protect her and care for her now that Elvis was unable to. He had tried to ignore it as he knew his priority had to be Molly, but it had ended up impossible.

His mind wandered back to his nightmare and he closed his eyes, breathing in the strong scent of the coffee.

'Pull yourself together.' Came a voice in his head. 'Sort yourself out.'

He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. What had he become? Just weeks ago he was strong, Captain of his section, making life or death decisions. He had ordered them all to jump off a bloody cliff, for Christ's sake. But here he was moping around, just wasting time.

He set the coffee down on the worktop. Suddenly he knew what he had to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Georgie packed the last item she needed in to her Bergen and zipped it up, before dropping it on to the bed. First thing tomorrow she was leaving for the barracks, ready to join 2 section again for their next mission in Afghanistan.

She still shivered whenever she thought about being back there. She was dreading it. The last time she had been there she held Elvis as he died in her arms. This time she wouldn't even have Charlie to lean on if it got tough. However that wasn't all bad; at least she wouldn't have to worry about watching him die as well.

She heard the doorbell go and ignored it. Her parents were downstairs cooking dinner, and she was busy. She lay back on the bed and covered her eyes with the back of her arm, enjoying the sensation of doing nothing for the last time before she left.

'Georgie?' Grace's voice from downstairs broke her enjoyment, and she sighed before raising from the bed and opening her door.

'Yeah?'

'There's someone at the door for you, love.'

Georgie was just climbing down the stairs from her second floor bedroom when she heard his name. 'It's Captain James.'

Georgie swore under her breath and considered running back upstairs and slamming the door behind her, but she wasn't a teenager and she knew that would look suspicious. She also knew that he must have driven all the way here, and he wouldn't leave without seeing her. She suddenly felt angry. All this was for his own good, and she had been so close to escaping from it all. And now here he was, about to blow it all apart.

'Hi.' She said, as she approached the bottom of the second set of stairs.

'Hi.' He said.

Grace stood by the door like a spare part, smiling at her daughter's former boss.

'Can you give us a minute please, Mum?' Georgie said, walking past her.

'Of course.' Grace said. 'You're welcome to stay for dinner though if you like, Captain James. We're having Georgie's favourite as she's off tomorrow.'

Charlie forced a smile and was about to respond when Georgie almost pushed him out of the front door and closed it behind them.

'What are you doing here?' She snapped.

Charlie said nothing for a few moments and she studied his face. He didn't look himself. He looked exhausted and like he hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks. She felt a pang of guilt as she imagined him sitting at home on his own.

'I can't let you go without talking properly.' He said finally, trying to take her hands in his. Georgie pulled them away. 'Please, Georgie. Talk to me. I don't understand why you're doing this.'

'I told you.' Georgie said. 'I've made my decision, I'm going on tour tomorrow. I don't want this.'

Charlie shook his head, and she felt another stab of guilt for lying to him.

'If I thought you were telling the truth then I would let you go.' He said. 'But I don't believe you.'

Georgie sighed. 'I don't know how I can make it any clearer, Charlie. I've told you.'

'Did something happen the day I went to see the brig?' He asked. 'Because everything was fine that morning, you were going to come back - we wanted the same thing. We were happy together.'

Georgie sighed. 'No.' She hated lying to him. 'Look, it's just being back here, having space... made me realise what I want. I was confused. We aren't what each other need right now.'

'You're all I need.' He said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. 'Please, Georgie. Just tell me the truth. What's going on?'

She wanted to, more than anything. They had promised to always be honest with each other, and here she was lying to him. She hated it. But, she reminded herself, it was for his own good.

'Have you seen Molly?' She asked instead, changing the subject.

'No but I'm due to see my solicitor next week.' He said. 'To sign the papers'

Georgie looked at the floor. Why wouldn't he just listen? 'You need to see her first.'

'Molly and I have said all we need to say.' He said. 'It's over.'

'But it's not just you that you need to think about!' Georgie blurted out.

Charlie was confused. He had no idea what she meant.

'She doesn't want to be with me either.' He said. 'It was her decision to split, you know that.'

'I'm not talking about Molly!' Georgie said, her voice slightly raised. Her heart was banging in her chest.

'Georgie, what are you talking about?' Charlie asked, his face a picture of confusion.

And then he noticed the ring hanging around her neck again, and he sighed, leaning against the side of the porch.

'It's him isn't it.' He said. 'Elvis.'

Georgie panicked, she didn't know what to say. How to tell him. She closed her eyes and nodded, escaping from the situation.

'Georgie, you're not making sense. We spoke about this, we agreed... Elvis will always be a part of us. I love you, Georgie.'

It was the first time he had said those words to her, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and tell him she felt the same. But she couldn't let herself.

'I'm sorry, Charlie.' She said instead. 'I can't do this.'

He recoiled as if she had hit him, tears welling in his eyes. The sight of him looking so distraught brought tears to her own eyes.

'Please, go back to Molly. Get help with your PTSD. If you do that I'm sure you can make things better. You and Molly are meant to be together, just like...'

'You and Elvis.' Charlie finished her sentence.

Georgie nodded. 'I'm sorry, Charlie.' She said, and then she went inside and shut the door.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

Georgie had mixed feelings as she boarded the aircraft bound for Afghanistan. Every time she allowed herself to think about the last time she was there, all she could see was Elvis' burnt lifeless body in her arms. Her heart raced as she relived her attempts to resuscitate him, and the desperation she felt when she was pulled away by her fellow comrades. It was the worst moment of her life realising that he was gone and there was nothing she could do to save him.

'Alright, George?' Brains said, his voice breaking her out of her trance.

'Hmm?' She asked, as she had no idea what he'd said.

'Are you alright?' He asked, a slightly concerned expression on his face as he saw a hint of what looked like terror in her eyes.

'Yeah I'm fine.' She replied, leaning back against the metal body of the aircraft. 'Just looking forward to getting back to work.'

She pushed Elvis to the back of her mind as she listened to the conversations around her. She felt strange. It hadn't been that long since she was in Bangladesh with 2 section but she felt almost like an outsider. Charlie was no longer here, and although she really admired Kingy it wasn't the same. Charlie had become her sense of security and she felt vulnerable without him.

Her mind wandered back to Charlie and she closed her eyes, remembering the pain in his eyes when she told him that she didn't want to be with him. Her stomach flipped and she took a deep breath, shaking her head, trying to push that thought out of her mind.

On the other hand, she couldn't wait to get there and get busy. Hopefully that would help to keep her mind off things - Elvis, Charlie, everything. She would get stuck in to her work, save lives - that was all that mattered.

...

Charlie sat on top of the railings, enjoying the sensation of freedom as his legs swung back and forth. It was windy and the bitter wind whipped in his face, filling his lungs with fresh air. It had become so hard to breathe these days.

He turned his wrist and looked at his watch. Georgie should be in Afghanistan by now. He felt a pang of jealousy as he wished he could be there with her, with all of 2 section. He had been their boss for so long. Now he wasn't, he felt like he had lost part of his identity.

He tipped his head back and took a deep breath, staring up at the grey sky above. The clouds looked full of rain. His mind wandered again, this time to the moment they had shared one morning in Bangladesh when it was hammering down and Georgie had run to the vehicle while he was drinking his coffee. She had given him a little salute as she got in. They had exchanged a knowing smile. He felt sad as he realised they might never share a moment like that again.

His body wobbled slightly and he grabbed hold of the railings, his knuckles white from pressure. The sound of the traffic was steady and rhythmic, and strangely calming. He felt completely insignificant with the cars whizzing below, the drivers going about their daily business oblivious to his torment, and for some reason that soothed him.

Charlie pulled out his phone and scrolled through the photos. He had some of Sam, a few of Georgie, and if he went further back lots of Molly. The further back he scrolled the happier she looked. He began to scrutinise the photos. It was almost as if he could see the love and happiness they shared being chipped away with each photo. By the last photo of Molly, he hardly recognised her, the stress and disappointment in him eating away at her.

He debated throwing his phone off the bridge but then he came across a lovely photo of Georgie, under the white sheets of his bed, a huge smile beaming across her face. He still didn't understand why she had left. He had felt so happy for those few days she had stayed with him, it was like they had a new beginning. Then suddenly that was snatched away.

Suddenly he had an urge to hear her voice. He tried to call her, but there was no response. He tried again but still no response. Angrily he groaned, and threw the phone off the bridge, watching as it smashed on the motorway below.

That was over quickly, he thought.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Molly was in the middle of the supermarket when she received the call. It was from an unrecognised number, and she was fully expecting it to be PPI or some unrelenting personal injury firm. She was ready to give them a mouthful. Shopping was bad enough when she felt sick and exhausted, she didn't need any distractions.

'Hello?' She answered aggressively.

It was silent.

'Hello?'

She heard someone move at the other end of the phone, and was about to disconnect the call assuming that it was a pocket dial when she heard a deep, shaky breath.

'Who is this?' She asked instead, frowning. 'If this is some sort of joke, it ain't funny!'

'It's not.' Finally they spoke - very quietly, but they were there. The voice sounded vaguely familiar but it was so quiet and the background noise was so loud, she didn't recognise him at first.

'Who is this?' She asked, but then it struck her. 'Charles?'

Another long, shaky breath. Then she realised what the background noise was - cars whizzing by.

'Charles, what are you doing?'

He said nothing for a few moments, and she began to feel even more sick than she did already.

'I'm sorry.' He said. He sounded lost and broken, and as much as she had grown to hate him recently it made her sad to hear him like that.

'Charles, where are you?' She asked, leaning against her trolley for support as she began to get really worried. He didn't sound right. 'Whose phone are you calling on?'

'I dropped mine.' He said. His voice sounded flat and emotionless. Nothing like the strong Captain who had swept her off her feet on her first tour.

'Charles, listen.' Molly said. She didn't like the sound of that traffic, and she didn't like the sound of his voice. At all. 'Tell me where you are. I'll come and we can talk properly.'

He said nothing again for a few moments, and she was about to talk again when she heard another noise. She realised it was a sob. He was crying.

'Charles you're scaring me.' She said, her heart thumping in her chest. 'Just tell me where you are.'

'I'm sorry.' He said again. 'I don't know what to do. I've let everyone down.'

'What are you talking about?' She asked.

'I've let everyone down.' He repeated. 'I can't do anything fucking right.'

Molly was desperate to get to him. The medic in her was now on high alert. He sounded bad, really bad. That together with the background noise was making her really concerned.

'Charles, don't do anything stupid.' She said, her voice almost pleading with him. 'Think about Sam.'

'Sam's better off without me.' Charlie said. 'He hardly even knows me. I wish I could go back and get it right.'

'Well maybe you can.' Molly said, before she could stop herself.

'What do you mean?' Charlie asked.

Molly hesitated. She had hardly wanted to tell him like this - in fact, she had hardly wanted to tell him at all. But she had serious concerns that he was about to do something stupid, and she couldn't not tell him.

'I'm pregnant Charles.' She whispered, subconsciously moving her hand over her bump. 'You're going to be a Dad again.'

She got no response and for a few horrible moments, she thought the news might have been enough to make him do it. But finally he responded, and she let out the huge breath she had been holding as soon as she heard his voice.

'What?' He asked. 'What.. how...'

'Before you left for Bangladesh.' Molly said softly. 'That last time.'

She heard him cry again, this time huge sobs.

'Please tell me where you are and I'll come get you, we'll sort all this out.' She said.

And then she heard another voice she didn't recognise and some scuffling.

'Charles?!' She almost shouted, attracting the attention of the oblivious shoppers around her, not that she cared. 'Charles?!'

There was another scuffling sound and then she heard the other voice again.

'It's ok. He's safe. We're taking him to the hospital. Could you meet us there?'


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you again for all the kind reviews, it's great to know that people are enjoying the story and keen to know what happens next. **

**As always I would love to know what you think of this chapter.**

Chapter fifteen

Within a few days Georgie was back in the swing of being on tour. There were still moments when she felt back at step one - the sound of a distant explosion triggered a flashback of Elvis being blasted off the roof before her eyes; the quiet whistle of the wind in the trees after dark reminded her of her first night with Charlie. But as long as she was busy she felt able to function. She very much enjoyed the distraction.

On the first evening she had a low moment and considered calling Charlie. She almost ached for him, she missed him so much. He had tried to call her during the day a few times but she had been busy and not had her phone with her. The sight of the missed calls triggered it off in her mind, the overwhelming urge to hear his voice. She wondered if he had spoken to Molly yet.

She decided that if he had spoken to Molly then he would need time to process the news, and she didn't want to influence that. And if he hadn't... well he was probably still holding out hope of her coming back to him, and until he stopped that he might never speak to Molly. She convinced herself that it was best for everyone that she didn't call him back.

...

Charlie stood in the shower, the steaming hot water running down his back and over his body. He had been in there for ages. The heat and steam made him feel a little better - it was almost as though he was washing away all the irrational thoughts which clogged his mind. The sound of the water in his ears blocked out everything else, and he was able to concentrate on that and nothing else. It was a temporary relief from the constant buzzing of his brain.

A sharp knock on the bathroom door brought him back to reality. He sighed.

'Charles? You ok in there?'

Molly, he thought. She hadn't left him for five minutes since they had got home from the hospital, for fucks sake. It frustrated him because he didn't need a babysitter.

'I'm fine.' He replied flatly. 'I'll be out in 5.'

He turned the water off and shook his head, knocking the excess water off his body. Then he wrapped himself in a towel and opened the bathroom door.

Once he was dressed he went downstairs. It felt strange being back in this house with Molly. Seeing her at the kitchen sink washing up the mugs felt familiar, he had seen her in the same position hundreds of times. But the atmosphere between them was different. They no longer felt comfortable together. It was almost like they were strangers now.

'Coffee?' Molly asked, without looking up.

'No thanks.' He said. 'I think I'm going to go for a walk.'

Molly turned around. 'I don't think...' her voice trailed off. He knew exactly what she was going to say. 'Why don't I come with you?' She asked instead, clearly thinking better of trying to tell him what to do.

'I just want to be on my own for a bit.' He said flatly.

Molly sighed. She didn't really know what to do, or what to say. She didn't even really want to be here, she had been doing so well without him for the past few months and here she was being sucked back in. But as much as she didn't love him anymore, she still cared. And now their baby was a tie that would bind them together forever.

'I'm an adult Molly.'

'Yes I know that.' She said, a little more snappily than she had intended. 'Look, do what you want Charles. Sorry for caring.'

Charlie looked at her. Suddenly he felt guilty. He had been so wrapped up in his own self pity that he had barely noticed the dark circles under her eyes where she had clearly barely slept last night for worrying about him.

'I'm sorry.' He said, with a sigh. 'I just... feel like an idiot if I'm honest. I wish we could just forget yesterday ever happened.'

Molly shrugged and then went back to the mountain of washing up. 'Whatever you want, Charles.'

He felt another stab of embarrassment as he realised how much of a mess the house was. He hadn't so much as washed a plate up since Georgie had left. There had been a huge pile of washing up by the sink, half of which Molly had now dealt with, and the carpets looked almost stained from sock fluff.

'Maybe we could talk.' He said, taking a fresh tea towel from under the sink and beginning to dry up. 'About... the baby.'

Molly said nothing for a while, just carried on washing up beside him. He held his breath as he recalled similar moments between them - a nudge, a cheeky smile, leading to something more. But even when he tried hard he just couldn't feel anything between them anymore. The spark was gone.

He wished so much that it could be Georgie here with him instead.

...

It was a few days before Charlie was able to open up to Molly about how he had been feeling. She listened and nodded and mumbled words of support in all the right places, but he still felt nothing. He felt numb. More than ever, he missed Georgie. She had been there through everything, and she understood. She was the only one who did. She could tell how he was feeling just by a look; when he spoke to her all he saw in her eyes was love and concern. At least it was. Until she'd left him too.

Charlie promised to be there for Molly and the baby, and a few days after she came home they wandered around some baby shops looking at baby grows and Moses baskets. For the first time since they had been reunited she seemed excited and animated. Charlie plastered on a fake smile. It was all he ever seemed to do these days. Really he wanted to curl up in bed and sleep for weeks, away from everyone, but he knew he had to get out of this rut and he wondered whether trying to take part in 'normal' activities might help.

It didn't seem to. All he could think about was Georgie. He wondered if she was ok, what she was doing. Every time he ate a meal he wondered if she had managed to eat that day. He wondered if she was following orders or whether she was still the same old Georgie. The thought of her defiance and passion made him smile. It was one of the only things that did.

Charlie told Molly that he was feeling better, and that the counselling sessions he had just begun were helping. That was a lie. He hated every minute, and each one made him even more keen to leave. He had only had two but if it wasn't for the baby he'd have jacked them in by now already. He was a captain, his place was on tour with his section not stuck in the office with a shrink. He resented the army for doing this to him.

He also told Molly that he wanted to give things another go. That was a lie too. More than anyone he wanted Georgie. But it was what he thought Molly wanted to hear, and she had been good to him since she came back. So every day when he woke up he plastered the same mask on, the same optimistic smile, and he got on with it. He hoped that one day he would feel that way again, but for now he would just have to fake it.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

The day started off exactly as planned. 2 section left the base at 0700 hours with a convoy of aid workers, and travelled to the refugee camp. Georgie was keen to get started with the inoculations, and had meticulously packed everything they required the night before, with the help of Ruby. She was positive that they were going to do a lot of good today.

Ruby and Georgie were half way through discussing their plan of action when two hundred metres ahead, a sudden explosion ripped through one of the vehicles in the convoy.

'Oh my god!' Georgie cried as the vehicle skidded to a halt, and 2 section began to disembark the vehicle in their combat positions.

As they did so, Georgie saw that the first vehicle had been completely destroyed by the blast. There could have been no survivors. However the second vehicle was also now on fire, and one of the occupiers of the second vehicle managed to leap out, engulfed in flames.

As if he could sense what she was about to do, Kingy shouted an order at Georgie not to move. She looked from her CO to the casualty who was screaming in agony on the floor, and back to Kingy again. And she ran.

'Lane, you get back here!' Kingy shouted, but it was as if she couldn't hear him. Her brain wouldn't allow her to stop, she just kept running and running until she had almost reached the casualty. There were several other civilian casualties lying around, scattered like skittles on the dirt around the shell of the burnt out truck. 'Get back!' She screamed at the walking wounded, before there was another huge boom and she felt herself being thrown through the air and to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Her ears were ringing and she could only see white. Her entire body was agony, it felt like she was being burned alive. She gasped for air, all she could feel on her skin was dust and blood, and her mouth and nose were full of dirt. She could hear the shouts of her section around her, approaching, but she couldn't move. She felt completely paralysed.

'Lane!' A voice shouted. 'Laaaannneee!'

She tried to talk but she couldn't. She was on the ground now but she felt like she was still spinning through the air, completely helpless.

'Man down! Man down!' She heard, and she could feel their hands scrabbling around on her body and putting pressure on her legs but she could barely feel anything. Not even pain.

She forced opened her eyes and through the thick dust, made out the outline of someone above her. She could hear all their voices but they were distorted, like some strange radio signal. She thought she could hear Ruby and Fingers and maybe Charlie?

'Charlie?' She croaked, just about managing to get the word out although she didn't know if it was audible to everyone else.

'It's ok.' She heard, and realised that Kingy was holding one of her hands.

'Charlie.' She croaked, she could see him now, he was right there. She wanted him to hold her more than anything.

'Not today I'm afraid.' Kingy replied. 'Don't worry we're gonna get you out of here.'

She tried to get some more words out but her brain was slowing, she felt fuzzy all over and their voices were becoming more and more muffled.

'Charlie.' She said. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry Charlie.'

'Don't try to talk, Georgie.' It was Ruby now. She could hear other voices in the background, making radio calls, trying to organise the other casualties.

'Charlie.' She managed. There were so many things she wanted to say. I love you. I'm sorry. But she couldn't, her brain wasn't working properly.

'You're gonna be alright, Lane.' Kingy said. 'Stay with me.'

She could see Charlie again right in front of her, she tried to grab him and pull him close but he was just out of reach. Pin pricks of white began to cloud her vision further, multiplying like bacteria, until she could no longer see. And then everything was still and white and she couldn't hear a thing.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

The call came at 2am, exactly eight weeks after Georgie left for Afghanistan. As usual Charlie was barely asleep so he answered it almost as soon as it started ringing. His brow furrowed as he saw the name of the caller on the screen.

'Kingy?' Charlie answered, getting out of bed and creeping out on to the landing towards the stairs as quietly as he could.

'Alright, boss.' Kingy replied. He still called Charlie boss out of habit, even though Charlie was of course no longer his boss. 'Sorry to call you at this time.'

'What's up, Kingy?' Charlie asked, on high alert already. He knew he wouldn't have called at this time unless it was urgent. The sound of Kingy's voice triggered something inside him - he felt something. He realised it was the familiar sensation of adrenaline flowing through his veins.

'There's been an explosion.' Kingy replied, and Charlie's stomach felt like it turned upside down. 'A roadside IED. Multiple casualties, boss. But I'm calling about Lane.'

Charlie's heart felt like it stopped beating for a few seconds. It was the first time he had felt anything since Georgie had left him. Suddenly he was in agony, it felt like someone had taken a knife to his heart.

'It's bad boss, really bad. She was trying to help casualties from one blast and she got caught up in the second blast. She's at Bastian right now but before she lost consciousness she asked for you. So I wanted to let you know.'

'Fuck.' Charlie replied under his breath. He had to get out to her now, but given his current condition there was no way he was going anywhere. He wasn't even allowed to take part in activities or training on base, let alone leave the country.

'They'll be transferring her to Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham once she's stable enough for the journey.'

Charlie's heart leapt. Birmingham was achievable. He could get to Birmingham in just a few hours.

'Thanks Kingy.' Charlie said.

'I'll keep you updated.' Kingy said, and then he was gone.

Charlie stood in the hallway for a few seconds, his heart thudding in his chest. He felt sick. Suddenly he sensed someone behind him and he turned around to find Molly behind him.

'What's happened?' She asked, groggy with sleep.

'2 section have been caught up in an explosion.' He said.

'Oh god.' Molly said, her eyes wide in the dark. 'Are they ok?'

'Georgie's been injured.' Charlie said. 'It's really bad.'

Molly said nothing for a few seconds, but she cupped her hands around her bump and sighed. 'You should go to her.'

'What?' Charlie asked, certain he must have misheard her.

'Take off your mask, Charlie.'

'I don't understand?' He said.

'I know how you feel about her. We both need to stop pretending.'

'But I promised to be there for you both.' Charlie said, glancing at her bump.

'You can still be a good Dad, Charles.' Molly said. 'I won't stop you seeing the baby.'

'I thought you wanted to give things another go.' He replied.

'And we've tried.' Molly said. 'But we both know it's not the same anymore. You don't look at me in the same way. And to be honest, neither do I. We can't even bear to sleep in the same bed, Charles. I love you and I care for you, but I'm not in love with you.'

Charlie's heart was still thumping in his chest. He had felt numb for so long that this sudden burst of emotion was completely overwhelming.

'I promise I'll be there for you, Molly.' He said. 'You and the baby. Whatever you need. I'll be there.'

Molly nodded. 'I know you will.'

And she was sure that he would. They might not be in love with each other anymore, but this baby would always be something that linked them together, and she still cared for him a lot.

'Send Georgie my best wishes.' Molly said. Even after everything that had happened, she still cared for him enough to want him to be happy. She didn't hate Georgie, she never had. And she knew she would never forgive herself if Georgie died and Charlie never got to say goodbye. She couldn't even bear to think about what sort of state he might be in if that happened.

'Thank you.' Charlie said, placing a hand on her upper arm and kissing her cheek gently. It was the most affectionate thing he had done since she came back.

Charlie arrived at the hospital a full half an hour before the sat nav said he would. Thankfully it was the middle of the night and there was next to no traffic on the road. His mind was busy running through every moment he had ever shared with Georgie for the whole of the journey. He was so occupied by his thoughts that when he arrived, he couldn't even remember most of the journey.

He arrived before she did. When he called Kingy on route, Georgie was about to leave Bastian by helicopter but it would be a good few hours before she arrived. The wait was agonising. He strode up and down the corridors, unable to sit and wait. He remembered what it had felt like in Bangladesh when he was waiting for news on Georgie. That was bad, but this was a million times worse. She was unconscious this time and her injuries were life threatening. He didn't even know if she was going to make it to the hospital alive.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the late posting of this chapter, it completely slipped my mind this morning! Hope you enjoy and look forward to reading any reviews :)**

Chapter eighteen

When Georgie arrived at the hospital, Grace, Max and Charlie were already there, desperate to see her. Max and Charlie were doing their best to support Grace who was in bits, but they were obviously struggling too.

'When can we see her?!' Grace pleaded as one of the doctors came out to speak to them after fifteen minutes of intense work trying to get her stable.

'Georgie is very poorly at the moment.' He explained. The dumbed down language he used instantly grated on Charlie and he had to clench his jaw to keep his mouth shut. 'She's critical at the moment. Unfortunately she arrested twice on the way here and she's not stable right now. Once she's a little more stable we hope to move her up to theatre urgently.'

Charlie did a silent prayer that he would get to see her alive. He watched as they attached wires and tubes to her lifeless body, pushing bags of fluids through and syringes full of chemicals he didn't understand. He pressed his head to the glass and watched as they worked.

'What are you doing here anyway, Charlie?' Max asked. 'I thought you had left 2 section?'

Charlie cleared his throat. 'Er.. yeah I have.'

Max looked at him expectantly. 'So how did you know Georgie was here?'

Charlie didn't know what to say. He knew that Max and Grace didn't know about their relationship, and he didn't really feel like this was the right time to tell them.

'Captain King called me.' He said. 'I wanted to come and see how Georgie was doing. She's been a good friend to me.'

'Alright lad.' Max replied, clapping him on the shoulder.

'Max!' Grace cried suddenly, a look of terror in her eyes. 'I think she's crashed again.'

They all watched in horror as the doctors stared at the flashing monitor above Georgie's bed and then leaped in to action, performing CPR in yet another attempt to keep her alive.

'Oh Max!' Grace wailed, as he put his arms around his wife. 'What are we going to do? We're going to lose our girl!'

Charlie felt a lump forming in his throat as he recalled the last conversation he'd had with Georgie. He had felt really angry at her for a while. Now he knew that all this had been for his benefit, because she wanted to give him a chance to be a father properly. How he wished she had just told him the truth.

Before anyone could stop him, he shoved his way through the double doors and strode towards Georgie's bedside.

'Sir, you can't be in here.' One of the nurses said.

'I'm not leaving.' He said.

'It's really not appropriate for you to be in here.' The nurse said. 'I know it's difficult but we are doing everything we can for Georgie.'

'I said I'm not leaving.' He said. 'Georgie, I'm here. I'm not leaving until you come with me.'

He could hear the doctors chattering between themselves, some commands he understood and some he didn't. He watched as they desperately tried to resuscitate Georgie, but everything they did failed. After fifteen minutes one of the doctors looked at the big clock on the wall , and then around at his colleagues who all looked somber.

'No.' Charlie said. 'Don't you dare, don't you fucking dare give up on her.'

'I'm sorry sir but she's been down for fifteen minutes. There isn't anything more we can do, we've tried everything.'

'I won't give up.' Charlie said firmly. 'And neither will you. Now keep trying.'

The doctor stopped chest compressions and looked at his watch.

'Are we all agreed?' He said.

They all nodded.

'No.' Charlie spat. He was not used to being ignored. He was the one who got to make the decisions. The possibility of being with Georgie properly was the only thing that was keeping him going right now. He was going to hold on to that with both hands. 'We are not fucking agreed. Carry on.'

'Sir, with respect-' the nurse said to him, but he pushed past her.

'Alright then.' He said. 'If you won't do it then I'll fucking do it myself.'


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

When Georgie opened her eyes everything was still and quiet. She sat up and pushed the sheets off her, before swinging her legs off the edge of the bed and looking around.

'Hello?' She called. There seemed to be nobody around.

She got off the bed and walked bare foot across the tiled floor towards the door. She could hear someone moving in the corridor, and she held on to the wall for support as she got to the doorway. Her whole body felt heavy and tired.

'Hello?' She called again. 'Charlie?'

Suddenly he was there right in front of her. Her heart leapt.

'Hi George.'

'Elvis!' She gasped in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

'Rescuin' you.' He said, a cheeky smile on his face. 'Like I always do.'

'I don't... I don't understand.' Georgie said. She studied his dark hair, his chestnut eyes. It was definitely, unmistakably him. Her heart pounded in her chest.

'Come with me.' He said, taking her hands in his. 'You don't have to do it anymore. We can be together again, George.'

As his skin contacted with hers, memories flashed through Georgie's mind; the bottle in the lake, Elvis climbing through her bedroom window, the passionate nights they had spent together. She took a deep, shaky breath, leaning in to him and kissing him slowly. She had wished for this moment for so long, ever since she had lost him. But she still didn't understand how this could be happening.

'But you're dead.' She whispered, pulling away from him. 'You're dead. I held you as you... I saw it with my own eyes.'

Every hair on her body stood on end as he cupped his hand round her face gently. He was still so close that she could feel his cool breath on her skin.

'We don't have to be apart anymore.' He said. 'It's always been me and you, George. I've been waiting for ya.'

Georgie watched as his face folded in to a frown as he noticed that their engagement ring which once hung around her neck was missing.

'Where's my ring?' He asked.

Georgie looked down and placed her hand on her chest which was now empty.

'It must have got blown off in the explosion.' She whispered. The empty space where it once lay safely next to her heart made her feel uneasy.

He took her hands again and indicated for her to follow him. Suddenly Georgie heard another voice, this time it was Charlie. Elvis heard it too. He narrowed his eyes.

'Come on.' He said. 'He'll be fine.'

He wasn't fine, he sounded distraught. 'Elvis, wait.' Georgie said breathlessly. She had wished for this moment for so long - to be reunited with Elvis. But now she could hear complete devastation in Charlie's voice and she realised that perhaps this wasn't what she wanted anymore.

'Come on.' Elvis said. 'It's always been us. We're meant to be together.'

Georgie turned round and suddenly they weren't alone. She watched as a crowd of doctors in the corner of the room surrounded a lifeless body, the monitor flashing and beeping. It doesn't look good, she thought, and then she realised. Charlie was standing over the body, performing CPR, his face red and his eyes streaming with tears.

'Charlie.' She said, but he couldn't hear her. She took a few steps forward and recoiled in horror when she saw who was on the bed.

'Don't be scared.' Elvis said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. 'You just have to come with me. It will stop.'

Georgie looked out in to the corridor. Now she could see her parents, sobbing the other side of the glass, desperate for her to live. Then she realised what this was.

'What do you want, George?' Elvis asked smoothly. 'Not Charlie, you made that clear when you told him you wanted me. All you've ever wanted is me.'

Georgie sighed shakily. For so long she had longed for Elvis to be back with her, to wake up from the nightmare of that tour and find him sleeping next to her. But now he was here, and when she looked at the panic stricken expression on Charlie's face and her parents devastation, she wasn't sure anymore. Was that what she really wanted? Had she been so blinkered for all these years that she hadn't been able to see what was right in front of her?

'Come on, Georgie.' Elvis said again. 'I never stopped loving you.'

The sound of Charlie's sobs as he desperately tried to revive her lifeless body rooted her to the spot, unable to move.

'Georgieee!' He yelled, as the doctors tried and failed to pull him off. 'I love you, please don't give up on me.'

She closed her eyes. All this time, she had been longing for Elvis and hadn't realised who was right in front of her. Elvis had let her down on the most important day of their lives - their wedding day. Charlie had never let her down, he had been there on that day and every day since, whenever she needed him.

She pulled out of Elvis' grip and turned to face him, her eyes wide with shock at what she had just realised.

'Loving each other was never the problem, Elvis.' She repeated, the very same words she had said to him the night before he was killed.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you so much for all the recent reviews. I am so glad that you are still enjoying the story. The next chapter needs some tweaks but will be a bit longer and I am not feeling brilliant today, so I will try to get it done for tomorrow but if not it will be posted on Thursday.**

Chapter twenty

Charlie opened his eyes and stretched, wincing at the pain and stiffness in his neck. He had slept in this uncomfortable hospital chair for eight nights now, and it was starting to get to him. Not that he would give up, of course. He had resigned himself to sleeping in that awful chair until Georgie woke. He had promised her that he wouldn't leave the hospital without her, and he would stick to it.

It was his favourite time of the day, early morning, when he got to speak to Georgie alone just the two of them. Max and Grace stayed by her bedside for much of the day and then went back to a hotel they were staying in locally late in the evening. They were back first thing, but there was about an hour of first light before they arrived, and that was when Charlie liked to open up to Georgie.

He had told her everything. How long he'd had feelings for her, the moment he realised he wished that he loved her, the devastation he had felt when she closed the door on him the night before she left. He even told her about his darkest moments - realising Azzizi's betrayal, the moment he thought he was going to die in Belize, his stupid decision to stand on that motorway bridge. It was strangely therapeutic talking to Georgie, even though he wasn't entirely sure that she could even hear him. But just being in her presence calmed him, and being there for her gave him a sense of purpose again. It was like with every day that passed, he felt himself being rebuilt as a person one tiny piece at a time.

He wanted more than anything to hold her, but he couldn't. Much of her skin had been terribly burnt in the blast and one of her legs had almost been damaged beyond repair. The doctors didn't know whether she would ever walk on it again. It pained Charlie to think about how devastated she would be about that when she woke up. But he was determined to be there for her. She needed him just as much as he needed her. They would support each other through this.

Charlie glanced at his watch. He had about half an hour before Grace and Max were due to arrive. He put his hand carefully next to Georgie's on the bed and carefully stroked her little finger and the side of her hand with his thumb. It was pretty much the only part of her hand which hadn't been burnt in the blast.

'Morning.' He said softly.

As usual she said nothing.

'I was thinking last night,' Charlie began, 'about that moment when we were at the abandoned airfield in Belize. When I was about to lose consciousness and I told you I think the world of you, on the floor of that little hut. And the way you looked at me, and I knew right then that you felt the same. If I'd died then at least I'd have died happy.'

He sighed. It was difficult to share his dark thoughts out loud but at least it was easier talking to Georgie than a therapist.

'I did a really stupid thing when I considered ending it.' He said, his voice low.

Already he felt a hundred miles away from where he had been that day. The thought of ending it now seemed utterly ridiculous, and he was disappointed with himself that he had allowed things to get that far. It was as if things had got so bad that his mind had been poisoned against him and he had lost all sense of reality.

'I was selfish.' He continued, stroking the side of her hand gently again. 'But I'm getting better now. And I'm here for you. I'll help you to get better.'

He heard a noise in the corridor and turned around, expecting to see Grace and Max in the doorway. They knew about Charlie and Georgie by now, of course - it had been completely obvious to them the moment they saw Charlie leap on to Georgie and commence CPR in a desperate attempt to save her. They had both been stunned at the time, having not seen it coming at all, but it was clear to both of them exactly how much Charlie loved their daughter and the lengths he would go to in order to save her. And save her he had.

A nurse passed by the door and Charlie turned back to her, ready to resume the conversation. But his heart almost stopped as the beautiful brown of her eyes stared at him back.

'Georgie.' He said, his eyes filling with tears of relief.

'You came.' She whispered weakly, managing a weak smile through the dressings that covered much of her face.

'Of course I came.' He said, clearing his throat in an attempt to clear the lump that was forming. 'I love you.'

He saw that her eyes were watering too and he gently wiped them with a tissue, taking care to avoid her recovering burns.

'I love you too.' She whispered.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter twenty one

Once Georgie had spent some time with Max and Grace she had to rest. Her body had so much repairing to do that she felt exhausted just being awake and talking. They went to call the rest of the family and let them know that Georgie was awake and talking, leaving her alone with Charlie again, much to his relief.

He watched her sleep for a couple of hours, mulling the events of the past couple of months over silently. Every time he thought about how close he had been to losing her - again - he closed his eyes, that familiar feeling of dread taking over him. Now he was determined that he had to get better, for himself and for Georgie. She had a long road to recovery and he knew that in order to be part of that, he had to be brave. He had to climb out of the huge black hole he had found himself in, no matter how hard it got.

'Hey.' She said, as she woke and saw him sitting by the side of the bed.

'Hi.' He said, with a smile. 'How are you feeling?'

'A million dollars.' She joked.

Charlie leant forward and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. It was hard to find a part of her to kiss that wasn't painful. She closed her eyes and wished longingly that she could kiss him back.

'What you said.' She said. 'About ending it.'

Charlie felt a jolt in his stomach at the realisation that she had heard him. He swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. Why was it so much harder to say it out loud now that she was awake?

'What happened?' She asked as his reply wasn't forthcoming.

Charlie took a deep breath. 'A couple of weeks ago,' he began, 'I did something really stupid. I was a bit lost and I didn't really know what to do.'

She said nothing but he could see her eyes filling with tears.

'Hey.' He said. 'It's ok.'

'No it isn't.' She said softly. 'Why didn't you call me?'

'I did.' He said, before he realised what he was saying.

Then the tears began to fall from her eyes, and he wished that he could take those words back.

'You did.' She said, realising exactly when he meant. 'The day I arrived. I never called you back.'

'It's ok.' He replied. 'It wasn't your fault. How were you to know I was going to hang off a bridge and nearly do something so fucking stupid.'

'Oh Charlie.' She sniffed, her whole face crumpling at the thought of him being on his own. 'I'm so sorry I didn't just tell you the truth. I thought I was doing the right thing but I just made it a hundred times worse.'

He moved from the chair to the edge of bed and cupped his hand around the side of her head gently, leaning his chin on the top of her head. It was torturous not being able to hold her properly.

'It isn't your fault.' He said softly. 'Please don't ever think that any of this is your fault. Because it isn't.'

'But if I hadn't have left...' her voice trailed off.

'And if I had spoken to Molly when you said, then maybe it wouldn't have happened either.' He said. 'And I could have told you that nothing has changed, it's still you I want to be with.'

'And the baby?' Georgie asked, pulling out of his grip momentarily. She suddenly felt sick at the thought of him abandoning his baby.

'I'll be there for Molly and the baby.' Charlie replied. 'But there's nothing between Molly and I anymore. We both feel the same and it's for the best that we both move on with our lives.'

Georgie sighed and relaxed in his grip again, breathing in his scent. She had longed to be this close to him for so long, and now they were together again and everyone knew - so many of the obstacles they had faced when coming home from Bangladesh had been overcome, but it seemed ironic that they now had new ones to face.

'I need to know everything.' Georgie said. 'I want to support you and I can only do that properly if you tell me absolutely everything. You mustn't keep things from me because it's easier, or you think it will hurt me to hear it. Do you understand?'

Charlie thought for a moment and then he nodded. 'Yeah.'

He held her gently for a few more minutes as they both cried. Crying was a strange sensation for Charlie. He was used to bottling things up and being strong on the outside, but crying seemed to let out a lot of the tension he felt and he did feel a lot better.

'If it wasn't for you, I'd have died.' Georgie whispered eventually.

Charlie released his grip and sat back, studying her face. 'How do you know?' He asked. Neither Grace nor Max had mentioned it when they were here, he knew because he had heard the whole conversation between them.

'I saw you.' Georgie replied.

Charlie said nothing but raised one eyebrow, confused. How could she possibly have seen?

'I'm not going mad.' Georgie replied as if to read his mind.

'We're not having another portal moment are we?' Charlie joked and she laughed.

'No.' She replied, but then her face was serious again. 'I saw you, when I was with Elvis.'

Charlie sat on the edge of the bed in shock and confusion at what she had just said.

'With Elvis?' He repeated.

Georgie said nothing and he realised that she must mean she had a dream about Elvis. But then how could she have known what he did?

'I saw you.' Georgie said eventually. 'I know it was you who saved me, when everyone else had given up. I was talking to Elvis and then I turned around and I saw you.'

Charlie stared at her. What could she possibly mean? He looked down at her chest and realised for the first time that the ring which normally hung on a chain around her neck was missing.

'What happened to your ring?' He frowned.

'It must have come off in the blast.' She said shakily. 'And do you know what, ever since it came off I have felt free. When I saw Elvis he wanted me to come with him, it was like... like an out of body experience, I could see my body on the bed, and you trying to save me. And I realised I've been wrong all along.'

Georgie realised that she sounded crazy, but she had to tell him exactly what had happened even if he didn't believe it.

'Look I know it sounds ridiculous.' She said. 'I know I sound mad. But I swear to you, I could see you doing CPR, and I could see Elvis right in front of me.' She moved her hand on top of his and winced as it stung momentarily on contact with his skin. 'And at that moment everything made perfect sense. It wasn't Elvis that I was supposed to be with. It was you.'


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter twenty two

One year later

Charlie stood by the front door of the church, holding Amelia proudly in his arms. She was nine months old now and the picture of him - a mass of curly blonde hair and sparkling eyes.

He and Molly greeted the guests as they entered. It was a lovely sunny day, but a bitter wind whistled through the bare branches of the trees.

'Is that everyone?' He asked.

'Yeah I think so.' Molly said. 'Oh no wait - there's my Aunty Pam.' She rolled her eyes as she saw her struggling to get out of the car. 'I better go help her or she'll just whinge for the rest of the day.'

Charlie smirked. He was glad to escape the sharp tongue of Molly's Aunt. She had taken their split harder than Molly had, as she often did because she enjoyed making everyone else's business her own. 'Of course.'

He took Amelia in to the church and strode down the aisle, the sound of his shoes echoing around the pews. The church was already full, they both had plenty of friends and relatives who had wanted to celebrate with them. Hell, they'd had a difficult year, they deserved a celebration.

Charlie got to the front and sat down next to his parents and Sam.

'Where's my favourite granddaughter.' His mother said, putting her arms out and taking Amelia from him. Charlie smiled. Ever since Amelia had been born it seemed like she had softened. She was no longer judgmental and irritating, she was a good grandparent and no longer made Charlie feel guilty for his choice to leave the army. Even she could see that now, he was better off out. After countless counselling sessions, a handful of hiccups and with the support of Georgie, he had made huge improvements to his mental health in the past year and was now training as a teacher, something he never could have imagined himself doing a few years before.

'Hey.' He said, wrapping his arm around Georgie's shoulders carefully. 'Are you ok?'

'Yeah.' She said, resting her head on his shoulder. 'I'm great. Thank you.'

He smiled. 'I'm so glad you're here with me.'

'Me too.' She said, pulling the thin shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders up slightly, as if she was cold. He studied her face carefully, he could tell she was finding this difficult.

'You're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.' He whispered, making her blush. 'You don't need to hide.'

Georgie shuffled on her seat uncomfortably. As she so often did these days, she felt as though everyone's stares were on her. It was one of the reasons she had been so nervous about today. This was the first time she had been somewhere so intense since she had come home from hospital. It had been a long road to recovery and she would have to continue down it for a very long time. But today meant a lot to Charlie and so it meant a lot to her. She knew it would mean the world to him if she came, and she knew it would also be a good milestone for her recovery.

Georgie heard the commotion as Molly brought one of her late arriving family members through the church. She was an older woman and she shot Georgie a look as she got nearer. Georgie wrapped her shawl around her more tightly as if it was a shield, expecting her to come straight over. But Molly gave her a quick tug on the arm and she turned away. Georgie let out the deep breath she had been holding. She didn't want any trouble.

The service went without a hitch. Once the christening was done there was a very loud round of applause - mostly from Molly's relatives - and then Charlie stood with Molly, Amelia and Sam at the front of the church as people took photos. Georgie smiled proudly as Charlie held Amelia to him protectively. She was so proud of the father he had become since Amelia was born. She loved Amelia too, like she was her own. Sometimes she came to stay with them for the day and occasionally overnight, and Georgie enjoyed sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery, singing Amelia to sleep. There was something really calming about the company of a baby. She was completely non-judgmental and just the sight of her little smile warmed Georgie inside.

'Georgie?' She heard her name and looked up as she was broken from her day dream. 'Come up with us.'

It was Molly. She was standing at the front next to Charlie, now surrounded by both sets of parents.

'Time for a photo, all of us.' Molly said.

Georgie didn't know what to say. She pulled the shawl up tighter around her shoulders and made her way up to the front. As she got there, Charlie put his arm around her waist and held her tightly to him.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter twenty three

Georgie smiled and sighed contentedly as she felt Charlie's fingers run over her back. It was morning, and after the excitement of yesterday she had needed a lie in. She could smell something delicious and she opened her eyes.

'Is that for me?' She grinned as she saw a plate of fresh chocolate croissants on the side.

'Don't say I never treat you.' Charlie smiled, leaning in to kiss her gently.

She sat up in bed and wrapped the covers around her body like a cloak. The sun was shining through the gap in the curtains and it looked like a lovely day.

'Here.' Charlie said, passing her the plate. She took a bite of one of the croissants and sighed. 'They're so good.'

'Fresh from the bakery, just for you.' Charlie grinned, and then slipped his T-shirt and joggers off and climbed in to bed besides Georgie, pulling the sheet around his now naked body.

'I'm lucky to have you.' Georgie replied, leaning against his warm chest as she ate.

'Thank you for coming yesterday.' Charlie said thoughtfully. 'It meant a lot to me and Amelia that you could be there.'

'It meant a lot to me too.' Georgie replied, entwining her fingers with his. 'I wouldn't have missed it for the world.'

Charlie put his other arm around her shoulders and she snuggled in to him. They sat for a few minutes neither of them saying anything, just enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.

Finally, Charlie broke the silence.

'I was speaking to Molly last night.' He said.

'Oh?' Georgie said, looking up at him.

'She um... she's thinking about going back on tour.'

'Really?' Georgie asked. 'And leave Amelia?'

'She doesn't feel ready to leave the army yet.' He said. 'And she wondered... if we would take care of Amelia while she's out there.'

'Do you think we are ready for that?' Georgie asked softly.

'Yes.' He said. 'I think it would be good for us. And Amelia too.'

Georgie nodded. 'Ok. Then I'd love to.'

Georgie leaned up and kissed him, and his hands found their way up to her neck as she turned her body in to his. The plate of croissants fell to the floor as he lifted her expertly on to his lap, not once breaking their kiss.

Afterwards they lay side by side in bed under the sheets, every inch of their bodies touching and their faces just inches apart.

'I love you.' Georgie whispered.

'I love you too.' He replied, and then he rolled over and sighed as he noticed the time on the alarm clock by the bed. 'I've got to get going. My appointment's at 11.30.'

'Do you want me to come with you?' Georgie asked.

'Thanks.' He said. 'But I'll be fine on my own. You make the most of your lie in.'

He climbed out of bed and began to pull his clothes on. Georgie's eyes fell on his battle scars as he got dressed. He had almost given his life to the army, more than once. It still made her feel angry when she thought about the lack of support he had received after he had left. The PTSD which had almost caused him to take his own life had been 100% caused by his time in the army, yet once it had taken over him and reduced him to a shell of his former self leaving him unable to do his job the army had pretty much washed their hands of him. It shouldn't be that way, she thought to herself. If it hadn't have been for the handful of charities that had supported Charlie through his recovery, plus private counselling sessions which they had scraped together money for and funded themselves, he might not be here today.

'I'll see you later.' Charlie said, leaning down to kiss her.

'See ya.' Georgie said, and snuggled back down under the covers as he closed the door behind him.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter twenty four

As the heavy glass door closed behind Charlie, he breathed a sigh of relief. He stopped for a moment and stared at it for a few seconds, remembering the first time he walked through it.

Things had changed so much in the year that he had been seeing his psychiatrist. That first day he walked through those doors with Molly at his side, he was a man in a mask, putting on a brave face whilst inside wishing he could drop dead. He felt a lump in his throat as he remembered how hopeless everything had seemed that day. He had a pregnant wife who resented him, no job, a son who didn't even know him and and parents who could barely even look at him for the mess he had made of his life. He had gone to that office purely because of Molly, because she had encouraged him to and he felt like after everything he had put her through, he owed it to her to listen.

He remembered how closed he had been at his first session, unable to open up. He had thought the sessions were useless, the only person that he knew could help him was god knows where in a completely different continent, probably wishing he would just get on with it and put himself out of his misery.

It wasn't until he had seen Georgie lying in that bed, clinging on to life with the very tips of her fingers, that something had clicked inside him and he realised that if he wanted to get better, he would have to be the one to get there - not even the best psychologist in the world could save him from himself.

He took a deep breath and turned away from the doors, a small smile on his face. He had done it. He was finally well enough to finish the regular sessions, and provided that he didn't suffer a relapse he should never have to visit that building again.

As he walked down the street he pulled his phone out of his pocket and studied the photo on the home screen. It was a photo of the three of them smiling at the camera, Georgie had Amelia on her lap and he had his arm draped across her shoulders casually. He felt his stomach flip as he thought about how much he loved them both. The thought that he had almost missed out on all of this horrified him.

The door of the shop pinged as he walked through it, and the shopkeeper came out to the counter.

'Hi.' Charlie said. 'I've come to collect an order. My name's Charles James.'

...

Georgie had only just got out of the shower when she heard a knock on the door. She pulled her bath robe on and ran her hand through her wet hair pushing it back off her face, and then padded down the stairs towards the front door.

'Molly.' She said, as she opened the front door and they came face to face. 'Sorry, Charlie isn't back yet.'

'Thats ok.' Molly said, Amelia balanced on one hip and her changing bag hanging over her other shoulder. 'I wanted to catch you alone.'

'Oh. Ok.' Georgie said, standing back from the door to let her in. 'Hi, sweetie.' She said, squidging Amelia's cheek playfully.

Molly set the bag down by the front door and slipped her shoes off before following Georgie down the hallway to the living room. She glanced around her as she did so. There was no denying that this house was full of love. Sometimes it made her sad to see Charles have this with Georgie, given the absence of love in their marriage towards the end. But, she always reminded herself, the most important thing now was Amelia, and she was lucky to have three parents who adored her.

'Would you like a cuppa?' Georgie asked as Molly set Amelia down on the play mat in the corner of the living room.

'Yeah that'd be good.' Molly said, smiling as she watched Amelia's delight at being reunited with her toys. After a couple of minutes Georgie returned with two mugs, which she put carefully up on the top of the fireplace away from Amelia.

'What was it you wanted to talk about?' Georgie asked nervously, sitting down on the other sofa, her legs tucked under her body.

Molly turned to her. 'I've been asked back on tour.' She said. 'I spoke to Charles about it last night.'

'Yeah he said.' Georgie replied. 'He said that you'd like us to have Amelia.'

Molly paused. 'Is that ok with you? Like really ok? You have to be honest.'

'Yeah.' Georgie replied. 'You know how much we both love her. It would be a pleasure.'

Molly smiled as Amelia crawled across the play mat towards her. 'She's the most precious thing in my world.'

'I know.' Georgie said. 'And we will take good care of her.'

Molly picked Amelia up and held her close, tracing her nose with her little finger. It made Georgie's heart ache a little watching Molly with Amelia. She loved Amelia like her own, but she couldn't deny that she felt a little jealous that she wasn't actually hers. It would be a long time before Georgie would be ready to carry her own child, but that didn't stop her sometimes longing for one.

'Molly...' Georgie said, as Amelia squirmed out of Molly's grip and she set her back down carefully on the floor. 'Thank you.' She said. 'For letting us both be part of her life. We do love her, you know.'

Molly nodded. 'I know.' She said. 'And she's lucky to have so many people who love her.'

Molly thought back to her own childhood, living in an overcrowded house with a Mum who was permanently exhausted and a Dad who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. When she had found out she was pregnant with Amelia she had thought history was going to repeat itself - she would have a useless Dad and a Mum who was stuck in a tiny council flat, unable to do anything to stop that cycle. But by some miracle that hadn't happened - Charles hadn't let her down on his promise that he would be there. Just about one of the only promises he hadn't broken. Molly wanted to show Amelia that just because she was female, she didn't have to give up on her dreams - she could do anything she could set her mind to. And with Georgie and Charles' help, she was going to do just that.

'It's a four month tour.' Molly said softly. 'I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave her. But I have to do this.'

Georgie heard Molly's voice wobble and that vulnerability reminded her a little bit of herself, when she had forced herself to go back to Afghanistan to face her demons. It was a little different - Molly wanted to continue her army career - mentally, Georgie had checked out a while before then. But it still struck a cord with her because she had felt the same when she had to leave Charlie. She got back up and moved over to the other sofa where she put her arm around Molly.

'It's ok.' She said softly.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty five

Charlie jogged up the front steps of the house and stood on the top step for a minute before opening the door. He reached in to his jacket pocket, checking that its precious contents was still safely inside. His fingers skimmed over the hard edges of the box and he smiled, his heart pumping faster than usual.

He zipped his jacket pocket back up and pulled his keys out of the back pocket of his jeans, before turning it in the lock. As soon as he opened the door he could hear that Georgie wasn't alone.

'Hi.' He called, closing the door behind him and then slipping his shoes off. Nobody seemed to hear him. He took his jacket off and hung it on one of the empty pegs.

When he got to the living room door he stood back for a moment, silently observing. Amelia was happily playing on the floor with Georgie, every time Georgie built up a tower of blocks she pushed it over with a cheeky grin and roared with laughter at Georgie's reaction. Molly was sat beside them on the sofa, a big smile on her face. Charlie's heart swelled watching how effortlessly Georgie made Amelia laugh. Every time he saw them together he knew that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Georgie sensed that he was there and turned round, a big smile still on her face.

'Hi.' She said.

'Having fun?' He grinned.

'Of course.' She replied, then got up to greet him. 'How did it go?' She looked more serious now.

'Fine.' He replied. 'More than fine, actually. It was my last regular session today.'

'That's brilliant!' Georgie said, throwing her arms around him.

'That's great.' Molly said, and Georgie stepped back, remembering that she was still in the room. She tried not to show too much affection to Charlie when Molly was around - it just seemed a bit disrespectful. Although there was nothing between Molly and Charlie anymore and they both wanted to move on but get along for Amelia's sake, Georgie wasn't going to rub her nose in it. Molly had been grown up enough to bury any negative feelings she might have towards Georgie, and Georgie didn't want to upset the balance they had.

'Thanks Molly.' Charlie replied, then produced the bottle of champagne he had bought on the way back . 'I brought this back with me. Thought it might be nice to celebrate. Shall I get some glasses?'

'Yeah sounds great.' Georgie replied, but Molly stood up.

'Actually I'd better be going soon.' She said. 'I'll need to get Amelia's tea.'

'Why don't you stay?' Charlie asked. 'We could get a takeaway, I've only just got back it would be nice to spend some time with my girl.' He leant down and picked up Amelia who was now at his feet, tugging on his trousers.

Molly hesitated, but then seeing how happy her daughter looked in her dad's arms, she nodded. 'Alright then. Sounds good.'

...

After dinner, Charlie offered Molly a lift back home. They sat in silence for most of the journey. Every time Charlie moved in his seat he felt the box in his pocket, rubbing against his leg. As they pulled up outside her house he cleared his throat and turned the key, cutting the engine.

'Molly.' He said, and she looked up at him. 'I need to tell you something.'

She raised one eyebrow, intrigued. 'What?'

He didn't really know what to say. He had run this conversation over in his mind for weeks, ever since he went and ordered the ring. He knew that he had to tell Molly first, it wouldn't be fair otherwise.

'I uh... I need to run something by you.'

'What is it?' Molly asked.

He decided to come straight out with it. 'I want to ask Georgie to marry me.' He said.

Molly said nothing for a few moments, she just pulled her gaze away and then nodded slowly. 'Well congratulations. It's none of my business really though.'

'Of course it is.' He said. 'Look this doesn't change anything, I'll still be there for you and for Amelia. I didn't want to ask her without telling you first.'

Molly sighed. 'Ok.' She said. 'Let's just hope you put a bit more effort in to this marriage than you did with ours or it might be divorce number 3.'

She could tell from his reaction that she had hurt him, and she sighed. 'Look I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't just your fault, neither of us were blameless in what happened. I hope you'll be happy together.'

Charlie nodded, and then glanced in his mirror at Amelia who was now sleeping soundly in the back seat.

'It wasn't all bad though, was it?' He said.

'No.' Molly shook her head. 'No, it wasn't.'

He leant across and put his arms around her and held her tightly.

'Thank you.' He said. 'For helping me get out of that place. If it wasn't for you... I wouldn't be here now. I wouldn't have this.'

Molly smiled and then got out of the car, before lifting Amelia's car seat out of the back seat.

'See you next weekend.' She said. 'And I'll keep in touch about the tour dates.'

'Sure.' Charlie said, as he watched her walk down the path to her house.


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you for all your recent reviews, I am glad to see that people are still loving this story. Just a couple more chapters to go now, as always please let me know what you think. **

Chapter twenty six

Sitting on the stool in front of the dressing table, Georgie pulled the hairband carefully out of her hair and watched as it cascaded down her back, a tumble of chocolate brown waves. She carefully wiped the make up from her face, watching as the scars underneath became more and more visible with every wipe. Nobody got to see this part of her except for Charlie. Not even her own parents.

She sat still and stared at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, before lifting her top over her head. She moved her bra strap down and studied the angry red patterns which still covered much of her shoulders and chest. She had hoped that by now they would fade, but it seemed like they were still just as a red and angry as they had been at the beginning, just as she felt when she thought about what that explosion had taken away from her.

When the bedroom door opened and Charlie stepped inside she barely noticed him, it was as though she was in some sort of trance. She jumped as his outline caught the corner of her eye.

'Are you ok?' He asked.

Georgie nodded and quickly stood up, almost causing the stool to fall backwards in her haste. 'Yeah. Fine. Sorry just daydreaming.'

He took her in his arms and spun her around so that her bare back was against his torso. She could feel the outline of his muscles under his T-shirt and the hairs on her arms stood on end as she felt his breath on her neck.

'You really are beautiful.' He said, burying his face in to her neck. She let her muscles relax and softened in to his embrace, turning her head so that her lips brushed his. Then she turned around and reached up, pulling his T-shirt over his head. She felt a jolt of excitement in her stomach as his warm skin contacted with hers.

'Mmm.' He smiled appreciatively while she kissed him. 'I've only been gone half an hour.'

'Half an hour too long.' She joked, as their bodies entwined and they fell together on to the bed.

Afterwards Georgie fell asleep in his arms. He lay there stroking his fingers through her hair, watching the rise and fall of her back as she slept. It felt so natural now, being together. It was as if all the barriers that had come between them before had melted away, and they could finally be happy together. Their lives were certainly not straight forward - far from it - but they had managed to find a way to make it work.

Charlie slipped his arm gently out from under Georgie and let her head fall gently on to the pillow. She was sound asleep and he edged his body out of the bed before pulling his boxers on. He crept out of the bedroom quietly so as not to disturb her and made his way in to the spare room, where he pulled a suitcase from the wardrobe and set it down on the bed. He sighed. He had a lot of work to do.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter twenty seven

Georgie woke up suddenly as she felt someone nudging her. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see that it was still dark.

'Charlie?' She asked, rubbing her eyes. 'What is it?'

'I've got a surprise for you.' He whispered.

She sat up and looked at the alarm clock by the side of the bed. 'At 4am? Seriously Charlie, what the-'

'You'll like it, I promise.' He interrupted. He sounded amused and that just irritated her. She was no longer a morning person and she certainly didn't appreciate being woken up at 4am anymore. Not unless it was for good reason.

'This better be good.' She yawned as he flicked the bedroom light on.

'It is.' He said. 'Trust me. Get dressed and come downstairs.'

She sat on the edge of the bed for a while allowing her eyes to adjust, and then pulled some clothes on quickly. She was intrigued, but she would much rather have stayed in bed. She used to think nothing of 4am starts when she was on tour, but since that had ended she had almost lost the ability to get out of bed before 6am. She yawned again, wondering how she was going to cope if Amelia woke up in the night when she stayed with them.

Once she was dressed she padded down the stairs quietly, holding the hand rail for support. The light was on in the kitchen and she followed it, but when she got there the kitchen was empty.

'Charlie?' She called hesitantly, but there was no sign of him. She turned to leave the kitchen and it was then that he came in through the front door, a ridiculous smile plastered across his face.

'I can tell you now Charlie, this better be bloody good.' She said.

'Someone's feisty this morning.' He said, raising an eyebrow, still grinning. 'Ok, ok.' He said, raising his arms in mock defence. 'It is, I promise. Now come and get in the car, I've warmed it up ready for you.'

Georgie raised an eyebrow. 'The car? Now?'

'Yes, the car.' He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. 'Now hurry up, it's cold out there.'

She opened her mouth to protest again but then promptly closed it when she realised how excited he seemed. He hadn't seemed this animated since - well, as long as she could remember. He was cocky, just like he had been on tour all those years ago. She followed him out of the front door and down the path to the car.

Charlie drove in to the night, a smile still playing on his lips. He refused to tell Georgie where they were going. She had literally nothing with her besides her phone, she wondered whether he had even packed a bag. After about an hour Georgie could see the tiniest hint of purple scattered across the dark sky, and it lightened by the minute as beautiful reds, oranges and pinks appeared before her eyes. She was tired but it had been so long since she had watched the sun rise. It was a really beautiful morning.

'Charlie, please tell me where we're going.' Georgie asked for about the twentieth time.

'And spoil the surprise?' He asked. 'No way.'

'I don't like surprises.' She replied.

'Ah, you'll like this one.' He grinned.

They stayed on the motorway for another hour before Charlie started to indicate. Georgie studied the road signs as they drove past but she had no idea where they were.

'Not long now.' Charlie said confidently, turning off the motorway on to an A road, and then a few moments later he turned down a single lane track. Georgie was puzzled. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. By now it was light, and all she could see were fields and sheep. The track got steeper and steeper; Georgie was glad they were in Charlie's 4x4 and not in her own smaller car, it would never have made it.

Just as they got to the brow of the hill, he indicated again and turned down a driveway. Within moments a little cottage came in to view. Charlie pulled up outside it and cut the engine.

'Where are we?' Georgie asked. 'Whose house is this?'

Charlie turned to her. 'It's ours, for a few days. I thought we could do with some time just the two of us, away from the world.' He placed his hand on her leg again and smiled. 'What do you think?'

Georgie looked at the little cottage. It looked warm and inviting. It seemed as though there was nobody else around, they could just stay in their own little bubble just the two of them.

'It's perfect.' She said. 'Thank you.'


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi everyone, thanks to all those who are still reading and reviewing. Sorry I have slowed down a bit with these last chapters, I keep changing my mind and have been quite busy with work this week. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter! **

Chapter twenty eight

'This place is amazing.' Georgie said, as they snuggled on the sofa in front of the big glass bifold doors. The doors perfectly framed the beautiful view over the hills beyond the cottage. It was a lovely clear evening, and the sun was just starting to set.

'Well I'm glad you like it.' Charlie replied, nuzzling the top of her head with his chin. 'I just wanted somewhere we could relax together, you know. Before Amelia comes.'

'Yeah.' She nodded.

The steady thump of his heart against her cheek was comforting and she sighed contentedly. If only they could stay here forever. It had been so long since she felt so relaxed.

'Charlie.' She said softly.

'Mmm?' He mumbled, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently.

'I need to tell you something.' She hesitated. They were having such a lovely time and she didn't want to risk ruining it. But she wanted to be honest, and now felt like a good time to bring it up.

'I feel like I'm letting you down.' She said.

Charlie lifted her chin up with his fingers and stared right in to her eyes. She looked a little sad. It broke his heart to see her unhappy.

'What on earth do you mean?' He asked. 'You could never let me down, Georgie.'

She felt a lump in her throat and swallowed, trying to get rid of it before it brought tears to her eyes.

'You're so lovely.' She said. 'You do amazing things for me. Like this...' she gestured around the cottage. 'I just feel like I don't do enough for you.'

He gently wiped the tears from her eyes and a loose strand of hair off her face, before leaning in close, pressing his forehead to hers.

'Just being with you is all I need.' He replied. 'I was in a bad place before you came back to me. I don't think I could have got through it without you. You know how I feel about you.'

Georgie swallowed. 'I just... I feel helpless. I can't do half the things I used to.'

'But you will.' Charlie replied. 'You're still recovering Georgie, you need to give yourself time.'

She closed her eyes for a moment and then dipped her head, avoiding eye contact.

'I can't even give you the one thing I should be able to.' She said.

'What do you mean?' Charlie asked, puzzled.

She paused and then shook her head. 'Nothing. Sorry I'm just being stupid. Just having a moment. Must be the 4am start.' She grinned, and he smiled back.

'Yeah sorry about that.' He said. 'I wanted to make the most of being here all day. Maybe we could have left a bit later though.'

She snuggled back in to him, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

'You can tell me anything, you know.' He said. 'I want you to tell me everything. If there's something on your mind, just say it.'

Georgie hesitated, and then nodded. 'Alright. It's not... I just.. Oh I dunno. You know I love Amelia?'

Charlie nodded. 'Yeah.'

'And I do love her to bits... she's amazing.' Georgie said. 'But... I just...'

'What?' Charlie asked, running his finger tips down her arm gently. It gave her goosebumps. 'Don't you want her to stay with us? Because if you don't feel ready...'

'Of course I do.' She interrupted. 'That's not what I meant.'

'Then what?' He asked.

'Sometimes I wish she was mine.' She said finally, and then held her breath for a few seconds waiting for his response.

'Is that honestly what all this is about?' He asked. 'You want us to have a baby?'

Georgie nodded. 'Yeah but it's killing me that I can't even do that right now. The one thing I should be able to do. The one thing I should be able to give you.'

Charlie sighed and held her closer to him. 'I'd like nothing more than to have a baby with you.' He said. 'When you're ready. There's no rush though, you know.'

'I know but it's like... my bloody clock is ticking.' She sighed. 'It's all I think about some days. And I see you with Amelia and I just feel completely shit that I can't give you that.'

Charlie lifted her face up to his and kissed her gently, wiping a few loose strands of hair from her face.

'All I want is you.' He said. 'You and Amelia and Sam. You all mean the world to me. If, in time, we could have a baby together then that would be... well it would be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it. But I'm in no rush Georgie, none at all. You need to put your energy in to recovering, getting strong again. And then we can see what happens after that.'

'Ok.' She sniffed, blinking away fresh tears that had formed in her eyes. 'I love you so much. I just want you to be happy.'

'And I am.' He replied. 'So happy. Now why don't I run you a bath?'

'Yeah.' She replied with a smile. 'That would be lovely.'

He got up and left the room. Georgie pulled one of the cushions to her stomach and held it close. She desperately wished it could be a baby bump she was holding instead. Charlie turned the tap on and began to run the bath, and then glanced back in to the living room. Tonight wasn't the right time, he thought. Maybe tomorrow.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter twenty nine

Georgie woke up to light streaming through the gap in the curtains, and she yawned as she rolled over towards Charlie. He was fast asleep, still exhausted from the day before. She bit her lip as she remembered last night, the warmth of his breath on her neck as he had stood behind her in the bathroom and gently unwrapped her from the fluffy white bath robe until it fell to the floor. The tenderness of his lips on hers as he spun her around and kissed her. The strength of his arms as he lifted her expertly and carried her to the bedroom, before he made love to her. It had been one of their most passionate nights yet, and she couldn't help but smile when she remembered it in detail.

Gently she edged closer to him and lay on his chest. He stirred and subconsciously wrapped one arm around her as she snuggled up under his chin. Closing her eyes, she thought back to the first morning they had woken up together.

'We just have to be honest with each other.' He had said, as they lay in the same position they were in now and he ran his fingers up and down her arm. 'With ourselves, and with each other.'

She felt better for telling him the truth. It had been on her mind for ages and she felt a lot better now that he knew.

'Morning.' He said as he woke, his voice still thick with sleep.

'Morning.' She whispered, entwining her fingers with his.

'Did you sleep well?' He asked.

'Yeah.' She grinned. 'I was tired after last night.'

'Yeah me too.' He grinned back, and then he sighed. 'I was thinking...'

'What?' Georgie asked.

'We might not be ready for a baby right now but that doesn't stop us practicing, does it?'

Georgie grinned. 'No.'

'Practice makes perfect.' He said, before he turned in to her and kissed her.

...

Charlie glanced at his watch again while tapping his foot on the floor. He was dressed and ready for dinner. He had found a lovely restaurant only about half an hour away, and that was where he planned to ask Georgie to marry him. Every time he thought about it, his stomach did a little flip like he was driving over a bridge at speed. He couldn't deny that he was nervous, and he was raring to get there. Georgie on the other hand was quite oblivious to the urgency he felt, and was calmly getting ready in the bedroom.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see her walk through the door. She was wearing a figure hugging dress which showed off her curves, and she had styled her hair in loose waves which ran down her back.

'Wow.' He breathed, which made her grin. 'You look amazing.'

'You don't look too bad yourself.' She smiled as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her. 'You did well with the packing. I love this dress.'

'So do I. I can barely keep my hands off you.' He said, and she laughed and batted him away playfully.

'I'm hungry.' She said. 'No time for that.'

They'd had the best day. A relaxed morning, breakfast in bed followed by a soak in the hot tub within the cottage grounds. It had been a lovely sunny day again, and after lunch they had gone for a short walk in the hills around the cottage. Georgie had been tired after that so they had cuddled up on the sofa and had a snooze. It was nice to have the time to do that together, without a care in the world.

'Let's go then.' Charlie said.

'Is it far?' Georgie asked as she got in to the car and fastened her seatbelt.

'No, about half an hour.' He replied.

Charlie pulled out of the driveway and turned right on to the lane. As they drove the lane became more and more windy, it was surrounded by more fields of sheep.

'It's so peaceful here.' Georgie said, admiring the view. 'Everywhere we go is so beautiful.'

'Yeah.' Charlie agreed. 'It is.'

'You did good.' She smiled, placing her hand on his leg. Charlie's stomach did a flip again as he thought about the little box which was in his jacket pocket on the other side. He was glad that he hadn't put it in his left pocket - he didn't want to spoil the surprise.

After about fifteen minutes they reached the top of the hill, and Georgie gasped as she caught sight of the view beyond.

'Oh my god!' She said. 'Look!'

'Wow.' Charlie replied. 'That is a good view.'

'Can we stop?' Georgie asked. 'Do we have time?'

Charlie glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 'Yeah.' He nodded.

He pulled in to a little gravel layby at the side of the road. They could see for miles, miles and miles of green fields scattered with sheep, and trees full of golden and red leaves. Once the car was off, Charlie unclipped his seatbelt and followed Georgie away from the car towards a bench that was precariously perched on a grass ledge at the very top of the hill.

Charlie sat next to her silently and took in the view. It really was breathtakingly beautiful, much like her, he thought. He glanced at her and they sat in silence for a few minutes, both enjoying the peace and beauty of their surroundings. Charlie's mind wandered and he became lost in memories.

'Georgie.' He said eventually, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.

'Mmm?' She said as she turned to him, her eyes bright.

'There's something I need to say.' He said, his other hand firmly clutched around the little box. He had pretty much forgotten the restaurant now. This was much more beautiful than any restaurant, and suddenly it seemed very fitting. It was as if it was meant to happen here - they had arrived at the exact time the sun was starting to set, casting colours all across the sky. They were completely alone, there was nobody here to spoil the moment.

'What?' Georgie raised one eyebrow.

Charlie took a deep, shaky breath. Get a grip of yourself, he thought. This was Georgie - sometimes he thought she knew him better than he knew himself. Why was he so nervous?

'It's always been you.' He said softly, squeezing her hand as he did so. 'I can't even put in to words how much you mean to me.'

Georgie squeezed his hand back and opened her mouth to reply, but he shook his head.

'No just wait a moment.. I need to say this.'

She closed her mouth and sat wide eyed, waiting for him to continue.

'When I thought I had lost you it was the worst day of my life. I would have swapped places with you in an instant. When you came back to me...' He paused, his eyes filling with tears as he remembered how hopeless he had felt that day as he desperately tried to revive her.

He cleared his throat and held the box tightly in his other hand, ready to slip it out of his pocket.

'I love you, Georgie Lane.' He said. 'You're the love of my life and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.'

Georgie's eyes filled with tears and she wiped them away. When she opened her eyes again she saw Charlie holding a small blue box in his other hand. Her heart began to pound in her chest.

'Will you marry me?' He asked, opening the box to reveal the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

'Georgie?' He said, when she didn't respond.

'Of course I'll marry you!' She replied, flinging her arms around him. She felt him relax in her embrace and she couldn't hold herself together any longer, she cried tears of relief and excitement and happiness all at the same time. 'I love you so much, Charlie.'

He pulled back for a moment and slipped the ring on to her finger, before kissing her hand gently. It was the perfect fit. The diamond sparkled in the evening sun and they sat on the bench in their own little world, dinner long forgotten.

**Well that was the last chapter, I hope you enjoyed the ending! I have a few ideas for a follow on to this story, so I may publish some new fiction in a few months. At the moment I am trying to write a book (not a fan fic, but with similar themes etc) so I need to concentrate on that, but I'm sure I will be back! **

**I would love to read some more CJ and Georgie fan fictions, it's always nice to read ones written by others and we are very outnumbered on this board at the moment by CJ and Molly stories.**

Thanks again to my readers and reviewers :)


	30. Update!

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I wrote the last chapter of this story! I do intend to come back to OG Fan Fiction shortly, but other projects have got in the way recently, especially one in particular.

I'm very excited to be able to say that my first novel, Battle Cry, has been picked up by a publisher and should be available in the UK as well as overseas (inc Australia, Canada, USA etc) by the summer.

As I've said I should be back to fan fiction at some point soon, but if you're interested in Battle Cry please email me or add me on Instagram @rosiejonesauthor for updates.

Battle Cry follows an army medic who finds herself embroiled in the issues faced by two of her colleagues, following a catastrophic patrol during the British Army's bloodiest year in Afghanistan. It tells the story of how love can grow from the most unexpected of places, and how the longest lasting, most life changing battle scars are not always those we can see.

Thanks again for all your support with my Fan Fiction, I'm not sure I would have written a book without all the lovely comments! Hopefully those of you who like my writing but not the Georgie/CJ pairing will enjoy Battlecry too.


	31. Another update!

Hi everyone,

Hope you're enjoying the latest series of Our Girl! I'm so nervous about next week, it looks like it's going to be intense!

A few people have asked me to let you know when my book is being released. I now have a release date of 13th May and it will be available in paperback and e-book formats. The kindle version can be pre-ordered here: . /Battle-Cry-Rosie-Jones-ebook/dp/B087GD6NYL/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=battle+cry+book&qid=1587764465&sr=8-1

Could I also ask a massive favour, if you read the book please could you leave a review on Amazon, even if its just one word - reviews will really help the book's visibility and hopefully it will be seen by lots more people.

Thanks so much!


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